You're My Light in the Darkness
by stephfarrow94
Summary: Sequel to Am I too Late to Save You. While Toshiro dates Rangiku, Jushiro is pushed into a relationship he's not quite ready for with Byakuya by Shunsui. But when Starrk comes into the picture, what will the frail-minded Jushiro do? HitsuMatsu ByaUki StarrkUki angst, self-harm, attempted suicide.
1. Chapter 1

**This is the sequel to Am I too Late to Save You, but it could possibly be read as a stand-alone fic. This one will follow Tōshirō and Jūshirō's road to recovery, as well as include pairings this time. There will be HitsuMatsu, ByaUki and ShunNanao. If there is anything anyone wants to see in this fic, let me know and I will try to add it in.**

"Stop copying off my work!" Tōshirō Hitsugaya snapped in annoyance as he moved to cover his sheet with his chest. He sent a glare at his red-headed friend as he hastily closed his textbook, not willing to let his older friend cheat.

"Aww, come on, Tōshirō-kun…!" Renji Abarai pouted as he poked the white-haired child with his pen. "You know I don't understand this shit!"

"Not my problem." Tōshirō moved his work to the corner of his desk.

A year had passed since Tōshirō and his brother had been abducted by Aizen. He had come a long way in terms of healing from the scars that had been etched into his mind; he had come back to school and was completing his last year along with his group. The fact that he had Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder wasn't as pronounced as it once was, seeing as he was able to ignore his pain and continue on with his life most of the time.

"You're smarter than me at this!" Renji continued to whine. "Teach me!"

Tōshirō was only fifteen, but he was still smarter than a lot of his peers, considering he had missed a lot of schooling. He sighed as he put his pen down and resigned himself to the frustrating task of _trying _to teach an uninterested Renji Psychology.

"Are you coming down the street with us after school today?" Renji asked, completely disregarding everything Tōshirō had just told him about conformity.

Tōshirō took a deep breath before he replied. "…No. I promised Rangiku I would come over today."

"You're no fun." Renji grabbed his phone out of his pocket, despite the fact that his friend was still trying to teach him something.

Tōshirō gave up. He knew that it was pointless. He should just focus on his own work and let Renji get into trouble for not working.

**-XX-**

The day had passed slowly for the Hitsugaya. He took his time leaving the school after the home bell rang, knowing that Rangiku wouldn't be home until a bit later after she finished work. There was no point in going home until then or else he would have to bother someone for a lift.

The boy grabbed his iPod from his pocket and put his earphones in. He listened to music as he walked to the middle of town, deciding to at least do a bit of shopping before he headed to Rangiku's. His brother had given him his pocket money for the week, and because he didn't often spend much on anything other than what he needed, he usually had a generous amount of money stashed away.

When Tōshirō found himself at Rangiku's just an hour and a half later, he was rather pleased with the small stockpile of candy he had bought for his brother, because it meant that there was enough to let Rangiku raid it without fear of there being none left.

"You're so thoughtful, Tōshirō," Rangiku spoke as she sucked on a lollipop.

Tōshirō just shrugged. "Might as well share…"

Rangiku smiled at her friend as she helped herself to the sweets laid out before her on the coffee table. She knew that Tōshirō was focused mainly on the TV, which meant that she could pull him onto her lap without a fight.

"R-rangiku!" Tōshirō growled as he tried to get off the girl's lap, but it was pointless; she had her arms wrapped tightly around him.

"You know, I heard a secret about you just the other day." Rangiku's smile grew larger and a bit playful as Tōshirō tilted his head in confusion.

"A secret…?" Tōshirō frowned. "From whom?"

"Your brother." Rangiku had a glint in her eye that Hitsugaya only ever saw when she was up to no good.

Tōshirō groaned. "Do I want to know what he said…?"

Rangiku didn't reply with words; instead, she placed her lips softly on the young boy's, loosening her grip on him as he stopped struggling.

Matsumoto didn't take advantage of Tōshirō's shocked state and instead pulled away, giving him time to register what had happened.

Tōshirō's glazed eyes slowly returned to focus as he realised what Rangiku had just done. He raised a hand to his lips, almost as if he couldn't believe what she had just done. Then it dawned on him; she had just stolen a _kiss _from the younger.

"…R-rangiku…" Tōshirō mumbled. His cheeks were painted a dark red as a blush came over him. He ducked his head, looking down at his lap. "…"

"Your brother told me that you like me." Rangiku's tone was gentle as she lifted the younger's head to face her. "It's good, because I've always loved _you, _Tōshirō."

Tōshirō frowned for a few seconds before a large smile crossed his face. "R-really…?"

"Yes." Rangiku leant down and kissed him again. "What do you say, Tōshirō? Do you want to take our relationship further?"

Tōshirō was overcome with joy as he nodded exuberantly. He buried his face in Rangiku's chest as his tiny hands fisted her black shirt.

"Let's go get some lunch to celebrate." Rangiku stood with the boy still in her arms. She laughed as the younger one let out a small squeak and clung to her tightly. "Just not in public, okay? I could get into a lot of trouble because you're young."

Tōshirō nodded. "I-I know. Rangiku, can we go to the diner on Main Street? They have the best watermelon."

Rangiku nodded and kissed Tōshirō's forehead. "You and your watermelon. Of course we'll go there."

Tōshirō's smile couldn't have been brighter than it was as Rangiku carried him out to the car. This was probably the best day of his life.


	2. Chapter 2

Tōshirō had been reluctant to return to his own home after having spent the day with Matsumoto. It wasn't that he didn't like his home life, but he really wanted to be with his new girlfriend.

"Shiro-chan?"

Tōshirō sighed silently at the wavering voice calling from the kitchen. He slipped his shoes off by the door and replied. "Yes, Jūshirō. It's just me."

"Thank goodness." The relief in the stronger voice was not hidden. "You stayed out late today; I've just put your dinner in the fridge for you."

Tōshirō walked to the kitchen and wrapped his arms around his brother's midsection. He buried his face in the small of Jūshirō's back and sighed.

"Rangiku said that you told her I liked her." Tōshirō's voice was soft and there was no hint of accusation.

Jūshirō laughed as he gently unwrapped the tiny arms from around him and moved to the sink. "Ahh, maybe I did, Shiro-chan. Maybe I did."

Tōshirō put on his best pout. "Why?"

"Sorry, Shiro-chan, but it's a secret." Jūshirō chuckled as he started to wash the dishes. "Did you confirm my little rumour? How did she take it? Tell me everything!"

Tōshirō huffed and left the kitchen; he didn't want to talk to his brother about this. He went to his bedroom, not bothering about his dinner seeing as Rangiku had already taken him out to eat. He flopped down on his bed and pulled his small dragon into his arms, hugging it tightly.

"For once," Tōshirō spoke to the teddy, "I'm excited about writing down my day."

The boy moved the dragon to the desk with him as he grabbed his journal from the drawer. He flicked it open and started writing down his day like he did daily; something his psychologist had asked for him to do.

Hitsugaya recounted everything he could remember onto the pages of his journal before he closed it and placed it back into the desk drawer. He pulled his pyjamas on and said goodnight to Jūshirō before he climbed into bed and fell fast asleep.

**-XX-**

The next day at school found Tōshirō talking animatedly to his group. He told them all about his new relationship, more excited than he had been in a long time. His friends were happy for him, knowing that this meant a great deal to the white-haired boy.

Matsumoto was a close friend of theirs as well, having once been part of the group when she had still been in school with them. They were willing to keep the fact that she was dating a minor under wraps seeing as they all knew that despite it being illegal, it was something Tōshirō needed.

"So have you kissed her yet?" Rukia grinned down at Tōshirō.

A dark blush covered Tōshirō's cheeks as he nodded. He blushed harder when his friends cheered happily.

The bell rang and the group dispersed to their lockers to get ready for their next class. Tōshirō had Language**(1) **with Rukia, which meant that he was now going to be pestered about Matsumoto.

**-XX-**

"Tōshirō-kun!"

Tōshirō sighed as Rukia ran up to him outside of their classroom. He waved silently at his friend, wary of the large grin on the girl's face.

"Tōshirō-kun, I do have a question, though!" Rukia exclaimed as she skidded to a stop in front of him. "Does Jūshirō-san know of your relationship?"

Tōshirō shook his head. "I haven't told him yet."

"Aww, why?" Rukia reached out and petted her friend's spiky hair. "He'll be so happy!"

"Because he'll make a fuss of it!" Tōshirō swatted at his elder's hands. "He'll annoy me and ask for every detail, and – and… and annoy me!"

"He just cares." Rukia smiled. "Think of how happy he'll be to know that you have a girlfriend."

Tōshirō sighed. He knew that Rukia was right, but that didn't mean it was easy for him to talk to his brother about his personal life. They had gone through hell and back together, but it was for that same reason he couldn't bring himself to talk to Jūshirō about this. He just couldn't associate his brother with intimacy of any kind without remembering the way he had witnessed his brother's many violations for weeks on end.

"Are you seeing her tonight?" Rukia asked, following their teacher into the room.

"No. Jūshirō says it's family time tonight. He doesn't have any day in particular; just whenever he feels like we need to bond."

"How sweet." Rukia smiled.

"Not sweet." Tōshirō frowned. "Annoying."

"Oh, hush. Be nice. At least your brother loves you. Mine makes me go shopping with him every day so that we can 'make up for lost time' or something."

"Now you're just sounding like I presumably am." Tōshirō rolled his eyes. He knew that today was going to be hectic.

**-XX-**

Because Jūshirō was still learning to live by himself with Tōshirō entrusted to his care, it was a scary thing to have to answer unexpected knocks on his front door. His psychologist had explained to him that it was just his anxiety and unhelpful thoughts, but it was still hard for him to open the door and even harder for him to leave it unlocked when Tōshirō was not home.

The Ukitake unbolted the deadlock on the door but kept the chain in place, opening it just a crack to peek out. He let out a sigh of relief as he saw his best friend on the other side of the door. He closed the door and unlocked it completely before he reopened it wide enough for the brunet to enter.

"You're doing better." Shunsui smiled at Jūshirō as he watched the younger close the door and redo the deadbolt and chain. "You didn't call out asking who it was this time."

Jūshirō sent back a tentative smile. "I-it was my… challenge for the week. From Kisuke."

"I see. Tōshirō home?"

Jūshirō shook his head. "He shouldn't be home for another five minutes."

"Then why are we locking the door, Jūshirō?" Shunsui questioned in a gentle manner.

Jūshirō ducked his head and fiddled anxiously with his sleeve for a few seconds before he replied. "B-because, I… Kisuke… challenged me to open the door… I-I thought that if… If I was doing this… then I could stop doing my previous challenge… Which was keeping my door unlocked for Tōshirō…"

Shunsui shook his head. "Jūshirō, your psychologist sets you these things for a reason, okay? He wanted you to keep your door unlocked before he moved you to the next level. You can't do this. Let's leave the door unlocked, okay? At least while I'm here."

Jūshirō flinched and let out a cry as the locks on the door were undone. He shivered slightly as his anxiety overwhelmed him and he stepped forward to do the locks up again. Shunsui grabbed him and stopped him, shaking his head.

"Let's sit down and talk, okay?" Shunsui said, trying to distract the fidgeting Jūshirō. He grabbed his friend's hand and led him into the living room, knowing that the younger was still distressed. "Jūshirō. You're in a safe neighbourhood here. We made sure of this when we agreed to look at the apartment."

Jūshirō nodded, knowing that his friend was right. He willed himself to stop fiddling, wanting to be strong and show his friend how well he was coming along.

"Anyway, Jūshirō, I wanted to talk to you about Byakuya," Shunsui explained. "He's been staying at my house lately."

Jūshirō tilted his head. Why would Shunsui want to talk about that? It was nothing out of the ordinary; Byakuya often stayed over during bouts of loneliness.

"You know he's started to masturbate?" Shunsui continued on.

A small smile graced Jūshirō's lips; this was a first for Byakuya.

"But…" Shunsui frowned. "…I've noticed he cries when he does it."

The smile wiped instantly from Ukitake's lips. "That's not good…"

"I have a proposition for you, Jūshirō. I know you're confused about what gender you're attracted to, but I've noticed during our threesomes with Nanao that you seem to enjoy it more when I… _play _with you. So I'm asking you this as a friend to both you and Byakuya; will you _date _Byakuya?"

Jūshirō let out a soft whimper as he shifted uneasily in his seat. He had never wanted to date because of the things his step-father did to him and his family, and until recently, he hadn't wanted to be intimate with anyone either. It wasn't until Shunsui had given him a tender invitation to join his and Nanao's bed did he give his best friend what should have been his virginity if it hadn't been stolen from him in front of his own brother.

"I know it's a hard decision, but think about how happy Byakuya will be." Shunsui offered a gentle smile as he reached out and grasped the now-shaking hand in his. "…How happy _you'll _be, Jūshirō. Byakuya loves you so much and he needs someone as patient and understanding as you in his life."

Jūshirō bit his lip. "…But how do you know he would even want to date a _male…? _He _had _a _wife, _Shun…"

Shunsui stifled a small chuckle as he answered. He moved closer and pulled his friend into a tight hug. "How do I know? Well, maybe because… it's _our _names he cries out during."

Jūshirō gasped. "'Our names'?!"

"Yes. It seems like he thinks of us, but seeing as I'm not into guys and have Nanao, I can't help."

Jūshirō looked down at his lap. He frowned deeply as he thought about what he could do. He was so lost in thought, he let out a small scream and dived into Shunsui's lap when he heard the front door closing. His heart started to race as panic consumed him, but Shunsui reassured him that it was only Tōshirō.

"Jū-nii?"

Jūshirō tried to calm himself at his brother's voice. He turned shakily to look at Tōshirō. The younger was regarding him with worried eyes.

"It's okay, Jū-nii. It was just me."

Shunsui smiled softly at the way Tōshirō had addressed his brother. He knew that the boy only ever did it when Jūshirō was having a hard time, and it touched his heart to know how much the two siblings loved each other.

"Jūshirō, can you squeeze my hand?" Shunsui offered as he slipped his hand inside of the smaller one. He placed a hand on his friend's cheek and smiled in a reassurance. "It's okay; count to five with me and every time we get to five, squeeze my hand, okay?"

Jūshirō nodded. He did as told, slowly calming down. Shunsui knew what was best for him, and he trusted his older to know how to help him.

Tōshirō climbed onto his now-semi-calm brother's lap and hugged him tight. He sighed softly, resting his head against the frail chest.

"I'll get you some water, Jū." Shunsui stood up and left, only to return a few minutes later with a glass. He watched in sadness as Jūshirō struggled to drink the clear liquid; since he had been rescued, there had been permanent damage to his throat, making it hard for him to swallow. He had to eat tiny bites of food and it took him a while to take a few sips of a drink solely because he physically couldn't get it down.

Minutes had passed and Shunsui waited until he was sure Jūshirō was okay before he continued on with what they had been discussing.

"So what about it?" Shunsui asked.

Jūshirō surveyed his friend with tired eyes. He didn't know how to reply. "…I… I need to think about it…"

"That's fine." Shunsui rested a heavy hand on Jūshirō's shoulder. "Let me know what you decide, okay?"

Jūshirō nodded. He held Tōshirō tightly, afraid of what Tōshirō would think of him if he started to date another man. Would the younger be disgusted…? Would Tōshirō hate him…?

Because Tōshirō had never openly spoken about his opinion on these kinds of things, Jūshirō was terrified. He couldn't lose his brother; he couldn't.

**1 – This isn't going to be confirmed as either English or Japanese as it will be left to your own preference, seeing as some people prefer the Japanese setting whilst others prefer it Western. **


	3. Chapter 3

Tōshirō was quite content to stay by Rangiku's side as they walked through the shopping complex together, hand-in-hand. The Hitsugaya was short enough to pass off as a ten-year-old, so the cover story was that he was her son whenever anyone asked about them.

"I just want to have a look at some makeup, okay?" Rangiku smiled as she lead Tōshirō in the direction of the cosmetics store.

Tōshirō mumbled something inaudible as a pout crossed his face. He didn't understand why girls always obssessed over such petty things, but he didn't argue as he was pulled onto the escalator. He was silent as he stuck close to Rangiku, holding his dragon teddy close to him.

"Tōshirō! Rangiku!"

Said people turned as their name was called. They smiled as Rukia ran towards them.

"Hey, Rukia." Rangiku reached out and messed up her friend's hair. "What are you doing here?"

"Shopping with nii-sama." Rukia jerked her thumb over her shoulder as her brother approached them in a slow pace. "He said he'll buy me a rabbit today!"

Rangiku cooed in excitement at the idea of being able to hold a rabbit. She leant down and brushed hair out of Tōshirō's face. "Hear that, Shiro-chan? Rukia is getting a rabbit and I can hold it!"

"She never said you could hold it," Tōshirō corrected. "She merely stated Byakuya was buying her one."

Rangiku pouted and folded her arms across her chest. "Alright, Mr. Grumpypants."

A small smile crossed Tōshirō's face. He buried his face in against Rangiku's stomach as he wrapped his arms around her middle section.

"Good morning, Tōshirō-kun, Matsumoto-chan." Byakuya nodded his head politely at each of his sister's friends.

"I told you they were dating!" Rukia pointed an accusing finger at the two. "But you didn't believe me!"

"You are truly dating?" Byakuya raised a slender eyebrow at the two before him.

Rangiku nodded. "We are. We've been dating for about two weeks now."

Byakuya offered a small smile towards the younger ones, but a flash of pain briefly crossed his dark eyes. "Congratulations. I assume that Jūshirō is happy about this?"

Tōshirō flinched at these words. "…He… doesn't know…"

"Oh? Why not?"

Tōshirō shrugged. "…I… I just don't think he'd be happy…"

"Nonsense." Byakuya placed a hand on Tōshirō's shoulder. "He'd be overjoyed. He's told me that he fears the trauma has been too much for you. This news would mean the world to him."

Tōshirō looked up into the dark eyes. "Are you sure?"

Byakuya nodded before he straightened up and glanced at Rukia. "We need to get going. It was good to see you both again. Let's go, Rukia."

Rukia hugged her two friends goodbye before she chased after her brother. Tōshirō and Rangiku continued on their walk, happy to be with each other.

Tōshirō thought about Byakuya's words and if Jūshirō truly wanted such a thing for him. …Well, it _did _make sense…

"Rangiku?" Tōshirō tugged on his girlfriend's sleeve. He bit his lip in uncertainty as he thought about how to ask her what he wanted. "…Will you… come to my house tonight… You know…? So we can tell Jūshirō together…?"

Rangiku smiled. "Of course we can. When do you need to be home by tonight?"

"Jūshirō said he wants to have dinner with me, so around six will be good."

Rangiku nodded. "Alright. Sounds good."

Tōshirō smiled up at his elder, happy to know that Rangiku was going to be with him when he told his brother about his new relationship tonight.

**-XX-**

"…Hey, Jūshirō…?" Tōshirō looked up from his plate and at his brother.

Jūshirō smiled at the younger. "What is it?"

"…" Tōshirō gulped as he thought about what he could say. He glanced at Rangiku who was sitting next to him. "…Well, first of all… Thank you for letting Rangiku have dinner with us…"

"You know it's okay, Shiro-chan." Jūshirō lifted a few strands of his spaghetti to his lips, chewing carefully so that it was easier for him to swallow. He glanced at Rangiku and smiled cheerfully at her. "Your friends are always welcome to come over."

Tōshirō smiled back. He glanced down at his lap as he tried to speak about what he truly wanted to. He sighed after a few seconds and, after making sure Jūshirō was still watching, he crawled onto Rangiku's lap and placed his lips over hers.

Jūshirō made a small noise as he smiled brighter than he had in a while. He waited until he had swallowed his food before he spoke, his voice much happier than it usually was these days.

"Oh, Shiro-chan, I'm so happy!" Ukitake wiped a single tear from his eye before he ran over and pulled the two younger ones into his arms. "I thought you would not want to have a relationship but I'm so happy that you're alright! And Rangiku-chan~ Thank you so much for taking care of my precious brother!"

Rangiku smiled and returned the embrace in a gentle manner, aware of the fact that Jūshirō got frightened if he felt like he was being restrained.

Jūshirō returned to his seat, rambling and asking questions about their relationship. Tōshirō was too shy to answer a lot of the time, so Rangiku filled the Ukitake in on just about everything they had done together since starting their relationship.

"Rangiku…?" And just like that, Jūshirō suddenly looked unsure of himself as his voice wavered. He fiddled slightly before he continued on, looking greatly uncomfortable. "…You have to promise me you'll never take advantage of him, okay…?"

"You have my word, Jūshirō-san." Rangiku reached over and took the pale hand in her own. "Until he decides he is ready – if he ever decides that – I will never do anything he isn't comfortable with."

Jūshirō smiled weakly. "T-thank you, Rangiku… I trust you with him."

Rangiku returned the smile. She looked down at the boy in her lap and ran a hand through his hair. "I should get going, too. Thank you for letting me spend dinner with you both, Jūshirō-san."

"Anytime, Rangiku."

Just as Rangiku moved Tōshirō over to his own chair and stood up, ready to leave, a tiny hand gripped her sleeve, halting her movement. She turned back to face her young boyfriend with a curious expression.

"…Please, stay the night…?" Tōshirō sent a pleading expression her way.

"I don't know, Shiro-chan," Rangiku said in a gentle manner. "You've got to get some rest and I haven't got a change of clothes with me."

"Please?" Tōshirō stood up and wrapped his arms around the girl's middle. "Jūshirō, can Rangiku please spend the night?"

Jūshirō gave a soft look to his brother. "I know you want her to stay, but it's up to Rangiku, okay? I'm happy for her to stay the night, but you can't force her."

Rangiku finally gave in, unable to resist the puppy-dog eyes any longer. "Fine – but you owe me a glass of sake!"

Tōshirō giggled, pleased with the results of his begging. He pushed his plate away and grabbed his girlfriend's hand, leading her to his bedroom.

Jūshirō just sighed and looked down at his plate. He had to eat so slowly out of no choice of his own that he had barely made a dent in his food while Rangiku and Tōshirō had both finished their own dinner.

The white-haired male stood up and carried his plate to the bench. He covered it with plastic and placed it in the fridge before he turned to grab the two empty dishes. He filled the sink with water as he prepared to do the dishes, but his mind was focused on Tōshirō's news.

Jūshirō was truly happy for his brother, but it made him think about what Shunsui was trying to push he and Byakuya into. He wanted to say yes – he really did – but he was scared his brother would react negatively for his choices in sexuality.

Maybe… since Tōshirō had trusted him enough to tell him about his own relationship… Jūshirō could do the same.

**-XX-**

Rangiku was fast asleep that night in Tōshirō's bed, said boy in her arms, when loud whimpers and cries awoke her. She blinked and sat up, knowing that it wasn't the Hitsugaya making them.

"Jūshirō-san…?" Rangiku mumbled to herself as she stood up and made her way out of the bedroom. She knew that Jūshirō had nightmares most nights because Tōshirō tended to lose a lot of sleep when he did.

The girl pushed the older male's bedroom door open and stepped in. Her heart broke to see Jūshirō thrashing in the bed with tears running down his cheeks, his mouth open in a silent scream. It reminded Rangiku of the scene in which Jūshirō and Tōshirō had been found after the kidnapping – something she had gone to numerous counselling sessions about.

"Jūshirō-san…" Rangiku reached out slowly and placed a hand on the man's shoulder, ready to jump back if he lashed out in fright. "Jūshirō-san, it's alright; no one's going to hurt you."

Jūshirō slowly relaxed under the girl's touch and soothing words, and soon enough, he was nestled in close to the warm body sitting on the bed with him. He mumbled something, but the only thing Rangiku could work out was that he had said Byakuya's name.

Matsumoto smiled as understanding crossed her features; her sweet Jūshirō had a crush on Byakuya.


	4. Chapter 4

Jūshirō sighed as he made his way over to the booth Shunsui was sitting at in the café near his apartment. The brunet had specifically asked for Jūshirō to meet him here at this exact time, which was why Jūshirō was now apparently two seconds late as Kyōraku held up two fingers and tapped at his wristwatch.

"It's only a few seconds…" Jūshirō mumbled as he sat down across from Shunsui.

"Maa maa, Jūshirō, those two seconds could have cost you your life had it been something serious." Shunsui smiled, knowing he was annoying the younger male.

"I don't doubt you are going to be the death of me, but not for something this ridiculous. What did you want, Shunsui? I'm busy today."

Shunsui pouted. "So grumpy, Jū-chan!"

Ukitake sighed. "I'm sorry, Shun… I was just up most of the night with those damn nightmares again…"

"You should try sleeping tablets."

Jūshirō tensed at an unexpected voice from behind him. He turned and found Byakuya standing there, a look of annoyance on his own face.

"I have sleeping tablets that I take when the nightmares don't go away." Byakuya's dark grey eyes left Jūshirō and instead fixed an annoyed glare at Shunsui. "Did you have to be so exact with the time? Four minutes and twenty-three seconds past twelve-o'clock?"

"You actually waited for that exact time?" Jūshirō raised an eyebrow at his friend.

"Of course I did. I was asked to."

Jūshirō raised his hands in a defensive manner as Byakuya slid into the booth beside him.

"I'm glad you're both here." Shunsui smiled. "I wanted to talk to you about something important. Have you decided an answer on my request, Jūshirō?"

Jūshirō fiddled at his hands as he nodded hesitantly. "…I-I want… to say yes, but… I'm worried about what Tōshirō will think…"

"All he'll think is that his big brother finally has someone who will love him and treat him right," Shunsui said gently.

Byakuya's eyes darted from Jūshirō to Shunsui and back again. A crestfallen expression crossed his face. "…You're… trying to get him a date…?"

"I am." Shunsui confirmed.

"…Then why am I here…?"

Shunsui reached over and grabbed Jūshirō's hand before he took the Kuchiki's. He joined the two younger males' hands together as he smiled at them both.

"Because you're the one I want Jūshirō to date, Byakuya-kun," Shunsui explained.

Byakuya's mouth opened as he nodded, still surprised about this; how did Shunsui know…?

"Well…" Shunsui stood up, a pleased expression on his face. "My work here is done. You two have to love and take care of each other, okay?"

Byakuya nodded, his dark eyes looking down at the hand holding his. He looked back up at Jūshirō, smiling softly at the fierce blush coating the older man's cheeks.

"…Are you… happy… to be like this with me…?" Byakuya asked.

Jūshirō bit his lip. "…I am… but I… Tōshirō…"

"Kyor - … Shunsui was right," Byakuya comforted. "He'll be happy; I'm sure of it."

Jūshirō nodded, smiling at Byakuya. "I'm sure you both are right. Let's get some lunch, Byakuya. I'll pay for it, okay?"

"Nonsense; you have to support yourself and Tōshirō on payments," Byakuya refused. "Allow me."

Jūshirō smiled softly and nodded. He followed his new boyfriend up to the counter of the café, standing behind him quietly as the raven-haired male ordered their lunch. He was excited about having taken his next step, but he still couldn't help but fear that Tōshirō wouldn't accept him for wanting to date another man.

-XX-

"You what...?" Nanao raised her eyebrow at Shunsui's words.

"I said, 'I pushed Byakuya and Jūshirō into dating each other'." Shunsui took a sip of his sake, his smile bright.

"I didn't know they were gay..." Nanao stated.

Shunsui shrugged. "I don't think Jūshirō knew what he liked until I asked him to join our threesome. I've always had a feeling he likes males. And Byakuya's bi. He came out during high school. Dated a few males that didn't treat him right and then met Hisana."

"If you forced them, and they're not happy to be with each other..." Nanao started, about to hit Shunsui over the head with her book.

"Byakuya wanted this," Shunsui explained. "He's masturbated and called out our names several times. And Jūshirō needs someone to take care of him."

Nanao sighed before she nodded. "Fine. But if something happens to them..."

"They'll be fine, Nanao-chan," Shunsui reassured. "Trust me."

"It's your fault if something goes wrong," Nanao muttered as she opened her book, ready to get her daily dose of man-on-man porn.

"I don't believe anything _will,_" Shunsui said. "I'm confident in that. Why don't you put that book down and let _me _arouse you? Hmm, lovely Nanao-chan?"

Nanao narrowed her eyes and raised her book, bringing it down heavily upon her boyfriend's head. She ignored the small whimper Shunsui made and instead continued reading as if nothing had happened.

**-XX-**

Two days had passed before Jūshirō finally got the courage to tell Tōshirō that he had a boyfriend. The two were sitting down in the living room, playing Monopoly together, both calm and collected.

Jūshirō rolled the dice, holding a small conversation with his brother before he worked his way into telling Tōshirō about Byakuya.

"How are things with you and Rangiku-chan?" Jūshirō asked, moving his shoe three spaces ahead.

"Good." Tōshirō smiled up at his brother as he picked up a card from the deck. "You owe me two-hundred dollars, Juu. Rangiku says she's going to take me swimming tomorrow. Is that alright?"

Jūshirō handed over the money without question and nodded. "Of course it's okay. But make sure you stay with her, okay? There are a lot of bad people at places like the pool."

"I know."

Jūshirō smiled. "I was actually wondering, Tōshirō; I've never heard your opinion on this before, but what do you think about homosexuals?"

Tōshirō raised an eyebrow. Well, this was random... "Why are you asking?"

"I was curious, I guess." Jūshirō's heart started to race. He had a feeling Tōshirō wasn't going to accept him... "I-I just... have never heard your opinion on them..."

Hitsugaya shrugged. "Why does my opinion matter on them at all? Haven't we been abused by enough men in our lives?"

"I-I..." Jūshirō felt a panic attack coming on; he should have known Tōshirō wouldn't accept him...

Tōshirō frowned and reached out, putting his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Are you okay? Calm down..."

A single tear slipped down Jūshirō's cheek before he forced himself to speak again. "...I... I just wanted to know if you'd ever accept me if I told you I have a boyfriend..."

"O-oh..." Tōshirō bit his lip, not knowing what to do. He glanced down at the floor, concerned that he had just broken his brother. He whispered softly, "...If you ever wanted a boyfriend, Juu, that's your business... You shouldn't need my approval on who you want to love..."

Jūshirō nodded, willing his harsh breathing to settle down before his Tuberculosis attacked him again. He wiped at his wet eyes, tensing his body as his gaze remained fixed on his lap. Neither he nor Tōshirō spoke again until his breathing was calm, if a little rattled due to his damaged lungs.

Tōshirō moved to sit next to Jūshirō and wrapped his arms around the older male's shoulders, trying to understand what Jūshirō was telling him. Was Jūshirō... _gay?_

"Do you mean to tell me that you have a boyfriend, Juu-nii?" Tōshirō spoke in a gentle tone.

Jūshirō flinched and nodded, closing his eyes in what Tōshirō could only guess was fear – but fear of what? Fear of Tōshirō hating him or something? Hitsugaya frowned; no matter what Jūshirō chose as his partner, he would always love Ukitake.

"That's great." Tōshirō smiled, surprising the pale man. "Who is he?"

"...B-byakuya..." Jūshirō whispered, a small uncertain smile on his own face.

"I'm so happy for you, Juu." Tōshirō hugged his brother again. "I bet you're going to be very happy with him."

The last of Jūshirō's tears slid down his cheeks at these words. He nodded. "I-I think so, too."

They continued their game happily, just talking every now and then, content with being in the other's presence. Jūshirō was just happy to know that his brother still loved him.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N JuuxShun fan made a very interesting suggestion to me about this fic, and I liked the idea so much, I'm going to change what I originally had planned to their idea. :) **

**Also, there are mentions of sexual activity between Rangiku and Tōshirō, but I'm not too sure if I want to make it graphic due to Tōshirō's young age. If you guys are okay with it, let me know, otherwise the Tōshirō X Rangiku won't be very descriptive.**

Tōshirō was surprised by how fast his relationship was moving along. He and Rangiku had only been together for about three months and yet Tōshirō had initiated sexual contact already while Byakuya and Jūshirō were still only holding hands and beginning to spend the nights together.

"I was thinking that we should -" Rangiku had begun talking, only to be cut off by someone yelling at them in the busy shopping centre.

"You little shit!" a man yelled, looking down at Tōshirō as he towered over the boy. His hair was blond and he looked angry.

Tōshirō took a step backwards, hiding behind Rangiku. He looked up at her with wide eyes, pleading her to do something. He had never seen this man before, so he couldn't understand what he had done wrong.

"Leave him alone!" Rangiku growled, putting her hand on Tōshirō's head. "He hasn't done anything."

"That's a lie! I saw him steal that drink he's holding!" The man pointed at the bottle of coke in Tōshirō's hand as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I bought that at another store!" Rangiku shouted back. "You can't just accuse someone of stealing!"

"Show me a receipt!" The man held his hand out expectantly, only to scowl when Rangiku handed over the docket. He snarled angrily at the two before he stormed off into the backroom of the store.

People stared at Rangiku and Tōshirō before they moved on with their own business. The blonde woman sighed and reached down, picking Tōshirō up.

"Are you okay?" She whispered as she ran a hand through the white hair before her.

Tōshirō nodded and snuggled in close, upset and a little frightened by the yelling. A single tear dripped down his cheek, only to be wiped away by his girlfriend's finger.

"You know I love you, Shiro-chan," Rangiku whispered, kissing the boy's cheek. "Let's go home, okay?"

Tōshirō nodded. He wrapped his arms around Rangiku's neck and was silent as they walked out of the store. It only took them a few minutes to get to the woman's car and, once they were both seated safely, they headed back to Rangiku's home.

When they arrived back at Matsumoto's home, they entered the bedroom and laid down on the bed together. There was silence as Tōshirō curled up against the older person, content with being in her arms, before he decided he wanted more.

"Rangiku...?" Tōshirō asked, sitting up. He waited until the woman's eyes were on him before he continued to speak. "Can we touch each other again, please?"

Rangiku smiled and nodded. She ran her hand down the child's side, stopping at the waistband of his pants.

"Does Jūshirō-san know we're doing this already?" Rangiku asked.

Tōshirō shook his head. "I feel uncomfortable talking with him about this kind of thing."

"I understand." Rangiku sat up and kissed the child's forehead. "But I think it will be best for him to know, okay? I'll tell him if you want me to."

Tōshirō nodded, his cheeks heating up as he felt a soft hand wrapping around him. He moved closer to Rangiku, sitting against her as he was pleasured.

Their day didn't consist of a lot; they mostly stayed in bed together, but that was fine with them both. Jūshirō wasn't going to be home all day and didn't want his brother staying in the house by himself, so they had hours left to spend together.

**-XX-**

It was a bit past ten o'clock as Jūshirō and Byakuya left the fancy restaurant they had been eating at. They were holding hands as they walked to the raven-haired man's car, but Jūshirō was hesitant to get in.

"What's wrong?" Byakuya asked, reaching out to cup Jūshirō's cheek. "Did I do something to make you nervous?"

Jūshirō shook his head, a small smile on his face. "I-I was just thinking that it's late and you're tired, so you probably don't want to drive across town to take me home and then get back to your house."

"I don't mind," Byakuya said softly. "It's very dark out, and it's a long walk for you."

Ukitake shook his head. He moved to cuddle in against Kuchiki, taking a deep breath as the security and comfort Byakuya radiated overwhelmed him. "You should go home and get some rest. I'll be fine. Please? I-I just need some time to clear my head."

Byakuya sighed before he nodded, knowing not to push Jūshirō or the older male would become upset. He wrapped his arms around the white-haired man's shoulders, holding him close, before he leant down and placed his lips ever-so-softly against the frail man's own.

Jūshirō's eyes widened, but he didn't make any move to push Byakuya away. He reached out and grabbed the black jacket that Kuchiki was wearing and, within a few seconds, he relaxed.

When they pulled away for air, Byakuya rested his forehead against the paler one. "May I kiss you... deeply, Jūshirō?"

Ukitake blushed, but he nodded. They locked lips again, but Byakuya waited patiently until his partner opened his mouth before he stuck his tongue out.

When at last the raven had entrance, he was very careful to take it slow so he didn't startle Jūshirō. The taller male was nervous, his tongue fighting weakly, hesitantly, against Byakuya's.

The second time they pulled away, a small string of saliva kept them connected. Jūshirō panted softly while Byakuya's hand caressed his cheek in a loving manner.

"I will only ask this once more, Jūshirō," Byakuya said. "Do you want me to drive you home?"

Jūshirō smiled shyly and shook his head. He wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and rested his head against the stronger chest. "I will be fine; I promise."

Byakuya nodded. He returned the embrace before he moved backwards, pulling his keys out of his pocket. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Byakuya." Jūshirō kissed his partner on the cheek, a bright smile on his face, before he turned and walked away, humming softly to himself.

The walk through the deserted streets was chilly, and Jūshirō wrapped the scarf around his neck just a little tighter in an effort to keep the cold away. The white jacket he was wearing was baggy on him, but Jūshirō like it that way.

_We finally had our first kiss, _Jūshirō thought to himself as his humming increased in tune. _It was amazing. I remember when _they _had forced my mouth open and shoved all sorts of things down it, but Byakuya was so gentle with me. I love him so much. I can't wait to tell Shunsui. He'll be so happy. His tips about kissing were right; just let it all go and focus solely on the here and now. I have to thank him._

Jūshirō didn't notice when three figures moved out of the alley he had just passed and started to follow him; he was far too focused on his thoughts.

_I wonder when Byakuya will ask for us to move to the next level... _Jūshirō frowned at this thought. _ I-I know I've made love with Shunsui and Nanao a few times before but... the thought of making love with Byakuya makes me nervous... What if I can't please him...? What if we're both too damaged to make it work...? I'll have to talk to Shunsui about this, too; maybe he can help me out._

Ukitake nodded to himself, deciding that it was the right course of action. He frowned as he stopped in his tracks, coming across one of the darkest streets in the town. The street lamps had blown out in an accident not long ago, so it was pitch black as all the shops were closed and no one was driving past.

"Oh, dear..." Jūshirō mumbled to himself. The darkness reminded him of the time Aizen and his gang had him, making him afraid to walk through it. "It's so dark..."

"Hey, there, sexy."

Jūshirō flinched and spun around, his heart starting to race. He came face-to-face with three men, all taller than he was and well-built. He knew his weak body would stand no chance against them if they decided they wanted to hurt him.

"What are you doing out here all alone?" One of the men with black hair that hung down his face smirked. "Lookin' for a good time?"

"We can definitely show you a good time," one with blond hair and tattoos on his face said. His tone was lusty, causing Jūshirō's panic to spike.

"If you're into the whole rape thing, that is." The last male of the group laughed. His hair was black as well, and tied back into a ponytail.

Jūshirō took a step back, feeling himself becoming overwhelmed by memories as his fear peaked.

"Grab him." The blond said simply.

The other two males lunged at Jūshirō. The white-haired man was frozen to the spot in fear, unable to move away or even scream when he was grabbed by the men. His situation only became clear when he was dragged back the way he came to an alley not far from where they were.

"L-let me go!" Jūshirō screamed, thrashing in their hold as tears ran down his cheeks. "Please! L-let me go!"

"Shut up!" The long black-haired male shouted as he slapped Jūshirō's face.

Jūshirō didn't take their advice and instead screamed louder. "Help! Someone, help me!"

The blond man wasted no time in dropping his pants and shoving himself in Jūshirō's mouth in an attempt to stifle his screams for help.

Jūshirō choked and spluttered, instinctively biting down at what was cutting his oxygen off. He cried out when the object was pulled from his mouth and an angry hand punched him in the throat, and he soon found himself falling into a bloody coughing fit.

"What the hell are you three doing?"

Jūshirō didn't take any notice of the new voice as he was too busy trying to breathe, but it became apparent that something was going on when the barking of what seemed to be several dogs caused him to be dropped.

Jūshirō looked at the man who had come to join them. He had brown hair and a bit of stubble on his face. The fur coat he was wearing only made the man's appearance clearer to Jūshirō. The dogs the man had with him were very large, seemingly aggressive German Shepherds, and there were five of them. They were pulling at the leashes connected to their collars, their mouths wet with saliva as they snarled and barked.

The three men who had tried to harm Jūshirō quickly backed away, their eyes wide as they held their hands out in front of them.

"W-we weren't doing anything!" the blond one cried as his knees shook.

"Honest! We were just passing through!" The male with the ponytail lied.

"You have five seconds to get out of my sight before I let go of the leashes," the brunet said in an emotionless voice.

The men scattered within the blink of an eye, leaving a hysterical Jūshirō on the ground.

Ukitake flinched and tried to crawl away as the brunet walked towards him, the dogs now oddly silent as they followed. He whimpered when a hand was laid on his shoulder and tensed, expecting the worst.

"You seem have a knack for getting yourself into these kinds of situations," the brunet said. He sighed as he sat next to Jūshirō, a thoughtful look on his face. "What were you doing out by yourself?"

"S-starrk..." Jūshirō sobbed. He knew that back when he and Tōshirō had been with Aizen, Starrk had been the only kind person to them and didn't want a part in their treatment. He had even been the one to look out for Ukitake and try and stop him from being hurt as badly as he could have been because of the others. "Starrk, I..."

Starrk didn't speak; he just reached down and pulled Jūshirō into a sitting position. He didn't move when the white-haired man wrapped his arms around his arm and stayed still as the younger man cried into him.

"S-starrk, I-I...!" Jūshirō cried harder, glad to see this man, even if he had once been allies with the man who had tortured him. "...I-I'm so happy to s-see you..."

Starrk nodded. He patted Jūshirō's shoulder and looked at his dogs that were now sniffing at Jūshirō. He called them back, seeing the way Ukitake tried to pull away from them. Was the pale man afraid of dogs or something?

"They won't bite," Starrk reassured. "They're trained to only attack if I give them the command."

Jūshirō eyed the animals warily before he nodded. "T-thank you..."

Starrk got to his feet, pulling Jūshirō along with him. "Where do you live? I'll take you home."

Jūshirō shivered at the thought of Starrk knowing where he lived, but the man was different from the ones that had abused him for so long. "N-near the Eastern Bridge..."

"That's so far from here." Starrk rubbed his head. "What were you doing wandering around like this?"

"...I refused a lift home..." Jūshirō whispered, now realising that he was stupid to have insisted that he would be fine. "I-I can call him to come back; you d-don't need to..."

Starrk reached out, stopping the hand that was reaching for Jūshirō's phone. "I'm taking you home. It's late."

Jūshirō nodded, honestly too afraid to refuse any further. He started walking, hearing the patter of paws on the ground behind him. He shivered, remembering the way he had seen his step-father's dog attack his brother when they were both very young.

"You know," Starrk started, an air of confidence about him, "I read the news reports after Aizen died. They said you were doing fairly well in terms of recovery."

"Kind of..." Jūshirō mumbled. "I-I... I had to stay in the hospital for a few months... My body was literally too weak to keep me alive... The doctors say I would have died had I been there for much longer..."

"You did well to have survived for as long as you did back there," Starrk agreed. "I honestly thought you wouldn't have made it past the first couple of days after the copious amounts of blood you were losing."

"I..." A single tear dripped down Jūshirō's face as he walked. "...I had to be strong for Tōshirō..."

"You love him very much."

"I do..."

"How is he?"

"...Better than I am..." Jūshirō looked down at the ground at these words.

"You went through a lot," Starrk reassured. "Your brother didn't. It's understandable."

Jūshirō nodded. They were quiet as they made the walk back to Jūshirō's home and, half-an-hour later, were standing in the doorway of Ukitake's apartment.

Jūshirō looked at his feet, his face red. "...T-thank you for all your help, Starrk..."

"It's okay. Give me your phone." Starrk held his hand out in expectation, causing Jūshirō to startle.

"W-what?" Jūshirō bit his lip.

"Your phone. Pass it to me." The brunet wiggled his fingers as if to emphasise his point. He grabbed the phone that was hesitantly given to him and typed his number into it. He handed it back to the pale man. "Now you have my number. Let me know if you're in trouble."

Jūshirō nodded. "T-thank you..."

Starrk turned and left, his dogs following behind obediently. Jūshirō closed the door and made sure that the many locks were done before he turned and slumped against the wood. He put his face in his hands and cried, unable to understand this emotion welling up inside of him. It felt like the love he had for Byakuya and Shunsui, but... there was something different about it. The more he thought about it, the more it upset and confused him, and he was glad that Tōshirō had decided to stay the night with Rangiku because he couldn't bear for his beloved brother to see him in this state.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, when Tōshirō returned back to his home, he was confused to find that his brother had done the deadbolts on the door. He sighed and grabbed his phone, knowing that if Jūshirō had done them, he had been having a bad night and wouldn't answer a knock on the door.

Jūshirō answered the younger's phone call in a tired voice before he got out of bed and made his way over to the door. He unlocked it and let Hitsugaya in, giving him a big hug, before he returned back to his bed.

Tōshirō was confused; it was unusual for his brother to act like this. Had something happened on his date that upset Jūshirō? He knew that they had only been dating for a little under three months, with a two week difference between he and Rangiku, and he also knew that they hadn't progressed to anything other than cuddling and holding hands. Maybe Byakuya had moved too fast for Jūshirō?

"Nii-san," Tōshirō called as he entered his brother's room. He walked over to the bed and sat on the edge, seeing the way the sheets were messed up as if the bed's occupant had tossed and turned all night. He reached out and put a hand on the man's shoulder that was currently burying his face underneath his pillow. "Are you okay?"

Jūshirō pulled the pillow back enough so that Tōshirō could see his face and offered a small smile. "I am. I'm sorry if I worried you."

"Is everything alright with you and Byakuya?" Tōshirō asked.

Ukitake nodded. "Everything's great, Shiro-chan. We... kissed last night. That's all."

"Oh." Tōshirō smiled and kissed his brother's temple. "I'm really happy for you."

"I am, too." Jūshirō threaded his fingers through the boy's hair, deep in thought. "I am, too."

They stayed like that for a few minutes before Jūshirō sat up, reluctantly dragging himself out of bed. "I'll make you breakfast, Tōshirō."

The boy nodded and followed the older into the kitchen. He waited patiently as Jūshirō worked on the porridge and, when they were both seated at the table together, spoke calmly with the white-haired man.

"Are we doing anything today?" Tōshirō asked.

Jūshirō bit his lip, looking down at his bowl. "...I... need to visit Shunsui... But I need to talk to him in private, so... W-will you be okay here by yourself? I-I'd much rather you go to a friend's house, but if you can't, I can –"

"Jūshirō." Tōshirō's voice was soft, sensing that his brother was about to have a panic attack. "I will be just fine here. There are locks on the door and lots of people around. It's an apartment complex, remember?"

Jūshirō nodded, his hands clenching in anxiety. "...Okay... I will be leaving shortly..."

Tōshirō nodded, returning back to his porridge. As usual, he finished before the older male could even make a dent in his food and went to his room, preparing himself for the day.

Jūshirō left a little later, walking the twenty minutes it took to get to Shunsui's own apartment. He had been adamant in wanting a home close by Shunsui's, refusing to live any further than he could walk without feeling safe.

When Ukitake knocked on the door, there was no answer. He sighed and knocked again, knowing that both Shunsui and Nanao were home because their cars were in their designated spots in the parking lot.

"Shunsui!" Jūshirō called as he knocked again. After another moment of silence, he dug through his pocket and pulled out the spare key he's had for many years. He unlocked the door and stepped into the apartment, looking around. With no one in the kitchen or living room, there was only one other place they could be. Jūshirō blushed as he made his way to the bedroom, knowing that he was intruding upon something personal but not being able to stop himself.

Jūshirō knocked on the bedroom door, waiting for a reply. "Shunsui?"

Jūshirō heard low voices from behind the door and a lot of rustling. He placed his hand on the doorknob and opened the door once Shunsui had called for him to come in. The man blushed darker and looked down as Shunsui yawned and lazily pulled his clothes from the ground while Nanao was trying to go back to sleep, not bothering to cover herself up.

"I'm sorry for interrupting..." Jūshirō mumbled.

Shunsui waved a hand dismissively as he stood up as naked as the day he was born, picking through the various clothing items he had left on the ground that had built up over the past week. He grabbed random pieces and redressed himself before he walked out to the living room with Jūshirō.

"What's bothering you?" Shunsui asked as they took a seat on the couch. "Is something the matter?"

Jūshirō nodded. He fumbled with his hands as he thought about where to begin. Shunsui stood up and moved into the kitchen, putting the kettle on and pouring himself a glass of sake. He knew to give Ukitake space so that he could collect his thoughts.

A few minutes passed before Shunsui returned, handing the younger male a cup of tea. He sat back down and took a sip of his sake, waiting patiently.

"...Last night..." Jūshirō begun, clearly still unsure of how to begin, "...I had a date with Byakuya..."

Shunsui nodded, signalling for him to continue talking.

"...It went well, and we had our first kiss together..." Jūshirō smiled at the memory, his face heating up. "...The thing is... Byakuya was tired, and so I insisted I would walk home..."

Shunsui frowned; he knew that this was leading to nothing good. "You should never walk home by yourself at night, Juu-chan."

"I know, but..." a single tear dripped down Jūshirō's cheeks as he thought about what had happened. He wiped it away and took a sip of his tea before he continued. "...I-I didn't want to bother Byakuya... He said he didn't mind, but... It was so far out of his way..."

"Please, don't do that again," Shunsui said softly. "It worries me to know you'd do that."

"I'm sorry..." Jūshirō whispered. He ducked his head and started to cry before he pulled himself onto Shunsui's lap. "I-I won't do it again... I was so scared, Shun..."

"What happened?" Shunsui asked in a gentle tone as he ran his hands through the white locks. He could tell that something had gone wrong.

"...I-I... I got attacked..." Jūshirō sobbed harder as he remembered what he had gone through the previous night. "...They... There were three of them, and they... T-they held me down... One of them... put _himself _in my mouth..."

Shunsui held his friend tighter at these words, angry at the younger male's attackers. How could someone want to hurt such a sweet person like his precious Juu-chan? It was so wrong! When Jūshirō stopped talking, he gently coaxed the smaller man into continuing. "Do you want to talk about what happened after that, Juu-chan? We can stop if you want to; it's okay."

Jūshirō shook his head. He looked up at Shunsui with such a frightened expression, it broke the brunet's heart. "I-I... They would have... done worse, but... S-starrk... He came along and... he saved me..."

"Starrk?" Shunsui asked. He knew he had heard the name somewhere before but he couldn't quite think of where. Then it clicked; he had been an associate of Aizen. "Coyote Starrk?"

Jūshirō nodded. "...He was walking his dogs, and... He took me home..."

"Jūshirō, we're going to the police right now." Shunsui stood up, his serious voice startling Jūshirō. "That bastard could have hurt you, and now he knows where you live!"

"S-shun, I..." Jūshirō shook his head, refusing to get up. "Shun, it's not like that! He... H-he was... the one who looked after me back when... when..."

"I know you think that, but look at how he _met _you!" Shunsui grabbed his car keys from the coffee table in front of them. "He's going to hurt you, Juu-chan, and he knows where to find you!"

Jūshirō started to cry harder and stamped his foot on the ground. He had a frustrated look on his face as tears streamed down his cheeks. "You don't know _anything, _Shunsui! You weren't _there _when Aizen had us! You have _no idea _how every time that door opened to our room, I was hoping it was him because he was always the one to _stop _the others!"

Shunsui put his hands on the younger's shoulders, trying to calm him. "Juu-chan, I know I wasn't there, but look at what that place _did _to you!"

"Starrk never once hurt me or made me feel unsafe!" Jūshirō continued on. "It was all the others who treated me like a... like a sex toy, and a punching bag! And last night, he saved me again! How can you ignore what he did?!"

"What's going on?"

Jūshirō and Shunsui turned to the bedroom to find Nanao walking out, a robe covering her petite figure. She looked at Jūshirō and then turned to her partner.

"Jūshirō is being unreasonable." Shunsui muttered.

Jūshirō stamped his foot again, a loud sob escaping him. "He won't listen to me!"

Nanao rubbed her temples. She was silent until she was standing next to them and, with the flick of the wrist, had them both sitting down.

"What happened?" Nanao asked. "Start from the beginning."

Shunsui told Nanao exactly what he had been told, with interruptions from Jūshirō, until Ise was eventually caught up. The woman shook her head with a sigh.

"_You're _the one being unreasonable, Shunsui," Nanao said as she fixed a dark look onto Shunsui. "He's your best friend; you should understand what he's trying to tell you. He clearly trusts you enough to tell you this, despite knowing that you wouldn't understand."

"But he –" Nanao cut Shunsui off with a whack to the head with the book lying on the coffee table.

"No." Nanao turned and smiled at Jūshirō. "I'll make sure he doesn't do anything you don't want him to, Jūshirō-san. Do you want to keep talking about it with me?"

Jūshirō nodded and looked down. "I-I... I wanted Shunsui's advice, though..."

Shunsui sighed. "Jūshirō, look; I'm sorry for how I acted, but I love you too much to be able to trust this man with you after everything that's happened."

Jūshirō nodded. "...I understand..."

Nanao moved to sit beside Jūshirō and wrapped her arms around him. "What else do you have to tell us?"

"..." Jūshirō rubbed at his eyes. It was clear that he was afraid to continue talking by the way he kept biting his lip. "...I-I... I don't understand..."

Shunsui's thumb wiped away the tears staining the pale face as he rested his head on the younger's shoulder. "You can talk to us."

Jūshirō's hands trembled as he brought them up to rest his face in. His voice wavered as he spoke, confusion prominent in the tone. He whispered, "...I-is it wrong that I feel more for him then I do my own boyfriend...?"

Shunsui didn't speak; he just stood up and stormed over to his bedroom, punching the wall as he kicked the door open. The door was slammed shut behind him, leaving Nanao and Jūshirō alone.

"Shunsui!" Nanao shouted after him. She sighed when the brunet didn't come back and gathered the now hysterical Ukitake into her arms. She rocked him back and forth, whispering to him. "Shh. It's okay. It's okay."

"S-shunsui hates me!" Jūshirō sobbed as he pulled at his hair. "He hates me because I don't understand what I'm going through!"

"He doesn't hate you," Nanao whispered. "It's alright. I promise. I'll talk to him; I'm sure he's just upset and very worried. It'll be okay; he loves you very much."

Jūshirō's hand clenched the pale blue robe Nanao was wearing as his body shook violently with his sobs. Nothing she said could comfort him, and he eventually cried himself to sleep in her lap.

Nanao sighed and laid him down, fetching a spare blanket from the linen cupboard. She draped it over him and sat with him, knowing that Shunsui needed to be alone in order for him to process his own thoughts.

Running a hand through the pale hair comforted Nanao greatly as she worried about her lover; she knew there was only so much he could take concerning Jūshirō. She hoped that their friendship would be strong enough to pull through this as it had everything else. They had known each other since Jūshirō's first day of school, and had been best friends for well over twenty years. Hopefully the memories they had together would be enough to get them through this.


	7. Chapter 7

Nanao had been kind enough to sit with Jūshirō until he woke up. She knew that he would be in need of support after having witnessed such a bad reaction from his usually-understanding best friend.

"Nanao-san...?" Jūshirō said quietly as he rested his head on the girl's lap. He looked away when the raven glanced down at him. "Nanao-san, thank you for still being here with me..."

"It's fine." Nanao said. Her voice was stoic, but sympathy was in her eyes. "Are you feeling better now?"

Jūshirō nodded. He rolled onto his side and looked away, sighing softly. "...Shunsui was really mad, wasn't he...?"

"He was. I'll talk to him about it tonight."

"...He's always been so gentle with me..." Jūshirō mumbled as he wiped at his damp eyes. "...He's so kind to everyone, I forgot just how dangerous he can be..."

"He's a very strong male," Nanao agreed, "but you know he'd never use his strength to harm a living creature unless it was life or death."

"...It was so scary..." Jūshirō whispered. "...I-I... I haven't seen him so angry since we were teenagers, and I was getting bullied about my hair..."

Nanao pursed her lips. "I know. Do you want me to take you home?"

"Would it be a hassle if I asked to go to Byakuya's?" Jūshirō's voice was timid, almost as if he were afraid of the answer.

"Of course not. C'mon; let's leave now."

Jūshirō pushed himself to his feet and followed the woman out to the car park. He was quiet as he sat down in the passenger's seat, not really in the mood for talking.

**-XX-**

When Nanao arrived back at her own home, she was frustrated to find that Shunsui was in the bed, fast asleep. She sighed and grabbed her fan from the bedside table and whacked him with it.

"So abusive, Nanao-chan!" Shunsui whined as he sat up, successfully awoken from his sleep.

"You deserved it," Nanao said coldly. "What made you think you could treat Jūshirō like that?"

The brunet scowled. "He's being stupid, Nanao-chan."

"Whether he is or not, he can't help that." Nanao moved to sit beside Shunsui, knowing that this was a conversation that required them both to be calm and understanding. "You're his best friend; he needs you."

"I won't listen to him spouting nonsense about falling in love with some bastard who will only hurt him." Shunsui spat, resentment in his voice. "He needs to grow up and realise that this is the asshole who helped torture him and Tōshirō."

Nanao's gaze hardened and she raised her fan again, bringing it down upon the brunet's head. "Did you even bother listening to anything Jūshirō told you about _that?"_

"Of course I did!" Shunsui exclaimed, mortified by the idea that Nanao didn't think he cared. "Why?!"

"Because if you were really listening, you'd have heard the police confirm everything Jūshirō had told you about that man. Starrk has a record, Shunsui – a _good _record. He's taken care of people before and put an end to Aizen's troublemaking _in front _of police. I think you're being too hard on someone you don't even know."

"A _good _person wouldn't have been hanging around with people like Aizen in the _first _place..." Shunsui muttered as he clenched his fists. "What they did to _Juu-chan..._ I don't want to talk about this anymore, Nanao-chan. Please, let's just drop it, okay?"

Nanao sighed but nodded anyway. "Fine. But we'll be talking about this again soon."

Shunsui shrugged and lay back down on the bed. He pulled the covers over him and rolled onto his side, his back facing Nanao. The woman knew that this was a sign Kyōraku wanted to be left alone and got off the bed, moving into the living room.

Ise knew where Jūshirō was coming from. She could understand why he was feeling the way he was; he was probably so confused and grasping onto whatever made him feel safe and normal and didn't care who or what it is was that made him feel better. She couldn't help but feel sorry for him; she couldn't imagine what it was like to feel so _different _and unsafe that she was willing to cling to someone who had a hand in causing those problems for her.

_**Several hours later~~**_

"Are you okay?" Byakuya asked as he came back into his bedroom with two cups of tea balanced on a dish. He sat down on the bed beside Ukitake who was buried underneath the blankets, sniffing away the last of his tears. "I made tea."

Jūshirō sat up slowly, rubbing at his eyes, and took the cup he was offered. He sipped at it and looked down at his lap.

"Do you want to tell me what happened now?" Byakuya reached out and ran his hand through the white hair. "Did something happen with Shunsui?"

Jūshirō nodded. "...He... I-I tried to tell him something important, but... He wouldn't listen to me..."

"Do you want to tell me?" Kuchiki offered. His lips pursed when Jūshirō shook his head. "Is it something... about us...? Have I upset you or anything...?"

"No..." Jūshirō shook his head again. "...I love you... And I loved our kiss last night... I'm just... afraid to tell you... I'm afraid of how you'll react..."

Byakuya nodded in understanding. "I see. I will always be here for when you need an ear to listen."

Jūshirō smiled and looked up at his partner. "I know. I love you, Byakuya."

"And I to you." Byakuya put his fingers underneath the older man's chin and lifted his head. He placed his lips on pale ones, smiling as Jūshirō instantly opened his mouth and allowed him access.

The two kissed heatedly for a while before Jūshirō lay down and pulled Byakuya on top of him. The raven didn't voice his surprise and instead moved his hands over the frail body, feeling everything he could. Jūshirō didn't refuse when hands slipped underneath his clothes and only made muffled noises when they came too close to his groin for comfort.

Byakuya pulled away immediately, knowing not to rush his lover. He moved to lie beside the pale man and wrapped his arms around the male who was now snuggling in close to him.

"Feel better?" Byakuya whispered, making small circles on the scarred flesh of Jūshirō's back. He smiled again when his partner nodded.

_**Time skip~~**_

Tōshirō wasn't surprised when Byakuya brought Jūshirō back home that night. What _did _surprise him was the fact that the raven took his brother straight into the bedroom and laid him down before he started making dinner for the siblings.

"Is Jūshirō okay?" Tōshirō asked as he sat at the dining table. "He was acting weird this morning."

"I'm not sure," Byakuya said. "I'm staying the night with him so hopefully he's going to be alright."

Tōshirō nodded and waited silently for dinner, wondering whether or not he should say anything to his brother. He sighed, knowing nothing he could say would be enough to help his brother; there were times were nothing could help Jūshirō and he was best left alone until he sorted himself out.

After dinner, Tōshirō went straight to bed. He was having trouble sleeping, so it was no surprise when around nine o'clock, soft murmurs were heard from Ukitake's room before the sound of crying started next.

Hitsugaya just sighed and put his head under his pillow, trying to drown everything out; nothing hurt more than listening to his brother's suffering while knowing there was nothing he could do.


	8. Chapter 8

A few days had passed by and Jūshirō found himself sitting on the couch in the living room, doing nothing except for staring at Starrk's number in his phone. He twisted the object in his hands a few times, his anxiety rising. He wanted to ring the other male and talk to him, but he was almost afraid to do it; what if he caught Starrk at a bad time? Or what if the brunet didn't want to talk to him casually? Oh, so many what-if's...

Jūshirō gulped, closing his eyes as he forced his thumb to press down on the call button. He shakily raised the phone to his ear, a few tears leaking past his eyelashes as he waited impatiently for his call to be answered.

"Hello?" came the gruff voice Jūshirō knew as Coyote Starrk. "Who is this?"

"...S-starrk...?" Jūshirō whispered, his throat so tight he could barely talk.

"That's me. Who is this?" Starrk sounded as bored as ever, which Jūshirō took to be a good sign.

"...J-jushiro..." Jūshirō whispered.

"Oh. Are you okay?"

"Y-yes... I just..." Jūshirō sighed, not knowing what to say. "...I guess I just wanted to talk to you..."

Starrk chuckled a little on the other end. "Is that so? What about?"

"...I was... wondering..." Jūshirō licked his lips before he took the plunge, "...if you wanted to... c-come over...?"

"Is your brother with you?" Starrk didn't hesitate.

"He's at school, and everyone else is busy."

"I see. I'll be there soon."

Jūshirō's heart thumped violently against his chest as the line went dead, a huge smile gracing his face. More tears dripped down his cheeks as he sobbed quietly, not knowing why having Starrk come over made him feel so happy he was crying.

The ill male bustled around his kitchen as he prepared lunch, wanting to make as good an impression as he could on Starrk. He had made some teriyaki chicken skewers and spring rolls, and had just started on ohagi when the doorbell rang. He dropped the rice down onto the bench as he hurriedly answered the door, his anxiety all but forgotten as he unlocked the door and opened it, a bright smile on his face.

Starrk chuckled again at this. He let a small smile of his own grace his face. "Hello, Jūshirō. You seem happy today."

Jūshirō nodded. He stepped back, allowing the brunet entrance. "I... I'm happy you're here."

Starrk walked into the small apartment and looked around, taking in his surroundings. He seemed to be in the living room as an open kitchen was on the right side of the room, no walls dividing it. The dining room was beyond the kitchen, again undivided, and Starrk could see the small table sitting by a the glass doors leading onto the balcony that overlooked the busy street. A hallway was to his left, presumably leading into personal rooms.

"Let's sit down," Jūshirō said as he moved over to the couch that was sitting in the middle of the room with the TV in front of it, resting against the wall. "I'm so glad you came, Starrk; I was feeling so lonely."

"I thought that was the reason why you called," Starrk explained. "I didn't actually expect you to use my number at all, let alone keep it."

Jūshirō blushed and looked away, not giving a reply to this comment lest his accidentally reveal too much. "I-I was making lunch. I have some of it ready, but please excuse me while I finish preparing the ohagi."

Starrk nodded politely as he grabbed the remote from the coffee table in front of them. He flicked the TV on, waiting patiently for Jūshirō to return. He didn't have anything better to do, so he didn't mind waiting.

When at last, the white-haired man returned with a large tray laden with food, Starrk muted the TV and turned so that he could converse with his host. He reached out and grabbed a skewer, deciding that they smelled delicious. His taste buds didn't lie when he took a bite; Jūshirō was a great cook.

"Where did you learn to cook?" Starrk asked once he had swallowed his mouthful.

"Ah, I had to cook all the time for my family," Jūshirō explained, a nervous tone in his voice. "They, uh... They didn't really like doing anything, so I had to keep the house clean and do all the other chores. I don't mind; I think it taught me responsibility."

Starrk nodded. "I see. Do you talk to your family much?"

"No... My dad died when I was little, and my mum and step-dad are in jail, so it's just me and Tōshirō."

"No good." There was comfortable silence between them for a few moments as they ate, enjoying the other's company.

"Starrk?" Jūshirō asked not long later, his eyes shining. "Do you think we could make this a regular thing? E-eating lunch together, I-I mean... I d-don't expect you to spend all your time with me, so I –"

Starrk raised a hand, cutting Jūshirō's anxious ramblings short. "I would love to. Just call me, okay?"

Jūshirō smiled. "Okay."

"I heard you have a boyfriend, Jūshirō."

Jūshirō blushed, not expecting such a comment. He nodded. "Where did you hear that?"

"Word usually gets out when someone from rich families is dating someone from a lesser background." Starrk shrugged. "Are you happy with him?"

"Oh, yes." Jūshirō smiled. "Very much so."

"I never thought you'd want to be with a man after what happened." Starrk reached out and took a ball of ohagi.

"I-it wasn't easy at first, but Byakuya was lonely, and Shunsui kind of pushed us together. It's okay because I trust Byakuya and he's not the type to rush me."

Starrk nodded. "How far have you gone, if I may ask?"

Jūshirō blushed scarlet, looking away. "W-we have just kissed, Starrk. We've been together for a few months. Oh, but we did get a little intimate the other night, but it was just kind of touching each other underneath our clothing. I wasn't ready for him to touch me... _there, _though."

Starrk laughed. "Understandable."

Jūshirō smiled. He was unaware of the way he was slowly inching closer to Starrk until he found himself so close, their shoulders were brushing against each other. He blushed and looked away as he moved back a bit, stuttering an apology.

"It's quite okay, Jūshirō." Starrk didn't seem phased in the least. "You can come closer if you so wish. I'm not going to hurt you."

Jūshirō nodded. He moved back to where he had been seconds ago, wanting so badly to rest his head on the other's shoulder. After an hour of talking and getting to know each other, he found himself doing just that as his eyes slipped closed, too exhausted to stay awake much longer.

Starrk stayed calm, not minding the contact. He just reached out and grabbed the last ball of ohagi that was sitting on the coffee table, nibbling at it as his eyes focused on the TV and listened to Jūshirō's soft breaths of content.

_**Several hours later~~**_

Tōshirō wasn't expecting to find his brother fast asleep on the couch when he got home from school. Instead of waking him, he walked quietly to his bedroom and started on his homework, making sure not to disturb the older male.

Hitsugaya knew that some of his friends were coming over today, so he sent them a text asking for them to message him when they were outside the apartment instead of knocking so that Jūshirō wasn't woken. He smiled when they agreed, knowing that the frail man needed all the rest he could get.

_**Time skip~~**_

When Byakuya arrived at his boyfriend's home later that night, he was glad to see that Jūshirō was in a good mood. He was smiling and laughing, and was much more affectionate than usual. After they had eaten dinner and Tōshirō and his friends, who were sleeping over, had gone to bed, they sat on the couch, cuddling.

"I love you, Byakuya," Jūshirō whispered as he planted a loving kiss on the younger's cheek. "I love you so much."

"I know. I feel the same for you, Jūshirō." Byakuya held the skinnier male closer to him. "Will you allow me to make love to you tonight?"

Jūshirō blushed and nodded. "Okay. But be gentle, alright?"

Byakuya nodded as he stood up, gathering the lighter man into his arms. He carried Jūshirō into the bedroom and laid him down carefully on the bed. He had kicked the door closed behind him, but neither of them had realised how it was still open wide enough for sounds to slip through unfiltered.

Jūshirō laid back on the bed, moaning softly as Byakuya played with him and, once they had become one together, his cries of pain-filled pleasure filled the room. He whimpered out Byakuya's name, calling out in desperation as he was brought the ultimate pleasure, but images of Starrk flashed through his mind, causing confusion to the man. He didn't think too much on it as gentle love was made to his body but, once Byakuya would leave, it would only cause much more distress to him.

_**In Tōshirō's room~~**_

Tōshirō sighed as Ichigo and Renji bitched about their sleep being interrupted – well, Renji bitched and Ichigo growled at him to shut up.

"I'm sorry," Tōshirō apologised sleepily. "They've never gone this far before and I didn't expect for them to do it so soon."

"Bit hard to ignore them when their room's right across from _ours _and your brother's screaming out names during sex," Renji muttered.

"Shut up," Ichigo growled again, not bothering to open his eyes as he tried to go back to sleep.

Renji sighed. "Whatever."

Tōshirō ignored their bickering, focused on his brother's pleasured cries. He was honestly happy Jūshirō was feeling like he could go so far with his boyfriend so soon; it could only mean that his recovery would go smoother than expected.

_I love you, nii-san, _Tōshirō thought to himself as he closed his eyes again, falling back asleep. _I'm glad you're feeling better because you only deserve the best happiness in life. _


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N I know that this is a rather large time gap and you'd all want to know what was going on with Juu and Starrk in that time, but you'll still find out within the next couple of chapters. I just felt it more appropriate to take this route :)**

Two months had passed by, and Byakuya just couldn't work out why Jūshirō seemed so happy and eager to engage in sexual activities after having gone through an emotional breakdown for unknown reasons. It didn't make sense to him, but no matter how many times he tried to ask Jūshirō about what was happening, the topic was quickly changed to something different. Ukitake was hiding something, and Byakuya wanted to know what.

Kuchiki picked his phone up from the coffee table, deciding that he would remind his boyfriend of their lunch date and perhaps suggest a movie afterwards. He put his book down where his phone was and hit the dial button, waiting for Jūshirō to answer.

"Hello?" Jūshirō's uncertain voice said into the phone.

Byakuya's eyebrow rose; Ukitake clearly hadn't looked at his caller ID before he answered the call. Very unlike Jūshirō. "Jūshirō, it's Byakuya."

"Oh, hi, Byakuya-kun!" Jūshirō sounded bright and happy once again. "What's up?"

"Are you still able to come on our date today?" Byakuya asked. "I was thinking we could see a movie afterwards."

"...Oh..." If Byakuya had not known Jūshirō for as long as he had and sat with him through countless attacks, he may have believed the fake cough Jūshirō made. But he knew his boyfriend too well to fall for it. "I'm sorry, Byakuya-kun; I haven't been feeling the best. Can we change it for tomorrow, please?"

"...Sure..." Byakuya's suspicion rose when he heard someone murmur in the background. "I will come and get you around twelve..."

"Okay!" All pretence of being sick was gone, replaced once again by Ukitake's happy demeanour. "See you then!"

Before Byakuya could even open his mouth to tell the other that he loved him (or as close as he could get to those words), Jūshirō hung up without saying anything more. The raven couldn't help but feel hurt by this action, knowing that something had been going on with Jūshirō ever since the first time he had asked for sex.

"Rukia?" Byakuya called as he stood up and moved to the stairs. He knocked on his sister's bedroom door before he opened it slowly, not wanting to disturb her if she was sleeping; Rukia had been ill and was home from school. When the girl smiled at him, Byakuya returned the expression. "I am going to see Kyōraku. I'll return shortly."

Rukia nodded and closed her eyes again as her brother closed the door behind him.

_Something's not right..._ Byakuya thought to himself as he prepared for his trip across town. _I knew something hasn't been right ever since... Ever since everything _stopped _feeling right, all that time ago... He's been avoiding all our dates, making excuses and faking his illness... _

Byakuya couldn't help but fear the worst as he drove through the busy streets. He was upset that he wasn't making his boyfriend as happy as he thought he had been, and that Jūshirō may have found more happiness with someone other than him.

_Please, don't let my thoughts be right... _Byakuya couldn't help but wipe at the stray tear that trailed down his cheek. _Please... He's my world..._

**-XX-**

Shunsui sighed as Nanao snatched his sake bottle from him and put on his most pitiful expression. "Nanao-chan, please?"

"No." Nanao moved the bottle out of her boyfriend's reach as the brunet tried to grab it back. "I'm sick of you drinking yourself to death because _you _were being a jerk to your best friend and caused him to stop talking to you."

"He shouldn't have been stupid," Shunsui muttered under his breath.

"_You _should have been more understanding." Ise narrowed her eyes, glaring dangerously at the older male. "He was reaching out to you, Shunsui! And all you did was treat him like a child that was making a stupid decision with the inability to know what's good for him."

"I'm sick of hearing about this, Nanao-chan..." Shunsui truly sounded defeated. "He wouldn't listen to reason and was going to get himself hurt! All I wanted was to protect him, and now he refuses to talk to me!"

"I would, too, if I had reached out like that to you and you just pushed me away."

Before Shunsui could reply, a knock on the door sounded. He glanced at Nanao, neither of them expecting any visitors, and moved to get the door. He opened it, surprised to find a distraught Byakuya standing there.

"Byakuya-kun?" Shunsui reached out and pulled his friend into the apartment. "Are you okay?"

Byakuya shook his head, wiping at his wet eyes. "H-have you spoken to Jūshirō lately...?"

Shunsui sighed and threw his arms up in defeat. "You know what? I'm sick of hearing about Jūshirō! Nanao-chan bitches at me all the time because I wouldn't support him in feeling things for someone that's only going to hurt him, and now _you're _on at me, too! I can't win!"

"W-what?" Byakuya frowned; he didn't know that Shunsui and Jūshirō were on bad terms. And what was this about feelings...? "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, he didn't tell you?" Shunsui snorted. "Figures. He's been –"

"Shunsui!" Nanao jumped forward and brought her book down upon the taller man's head, cutting him off. "_Don't! _Don't you _dare! _I know you're upset, but you're just going to make everything worse!"

"Why?" Shunsui sounded bitterer than Byakuya had ever heard him. "Because I'm about to tell him the truth about his _boyfriend?_ He _needs _to hear it, Nanao-chan!"

"_You _aren't going to say a _word _to him," Nanao growled as she pushed the heavy male towards the bedroom. "_You're _going to be staying in the bedroom so _I _can tell him."

Byakuya's heart thumped violently as he watched the brunet get shoved along. So his feelings _had _been right... Jūshirō _wasn't _happy with him... He moved to sit on the couch, waiting for Nanao to return, trying his hardest to keep his tears in check.

"It seems you figured out what the idiot was talking about, huh?"

Byakuya looked up at Nanao's gentle voice. He nodded, moving over to make room on the couch for the girl. "...I was so... _stupid..."_

"You weren't stupid." Nanao put her hand on the quivering shoulder. "You just wanted to believe that you were the only one in Jūshirō's life. It's normal."

"...Why has no one said anything...?" Byakuya found himself whispering. "...Why...?"

"Because we honestly don't know if Jūshirō truly _is _cheating on you or not, Byakuya. He's... Jūshirō is _conflicted. _He doesn't understand his own feelings. Ever since that night, when those people abused him –"

"What...?" Byakuya's frown deepened; what was Nanao talking about...? "Abused him...?"

"He didn't tell you that, either..." Nanao sighed. "This is what he told Shun and I. He told us he had been walking home after a date with you, and had refused a lift home. He got dragged into an alley and he couldn't get away. He had... _things _put into his mouth, but before it could go further, someone came and rescued him. That person... was Coyote Starrk."

Kuchiki's eyes widened. "...S-starrk... But why would...?"

"From what I understand, Starrk was never truly on Aizen's side," Nanao explained. "He was working on his own motives, much like Ichimaru Gin had. I honestly do not believe there is much to be worried about, except for the fact that Jūshirō is so very confused about his feelings towards the both of you."

"...I..." Byakuya closed his eyes as he breathed in deeply. "...I honestly believed he was happy with me..."

"I truly think he _is _happy with you, Byakuya," Nanao whispered. "I haven't seen him so happy with someone until he got together with you. But I believe he's confusing his emotions because of the fact that not only had Starrk... _protected _him, per say with Aizen, but once again prevented something like that from happening to him again. To him, it must feel as if Starrk is the one he loves _because _of that. Can you see where I'm coming from?"

Byakuya nodded. "...Still, it doesn't change the fact that I feel as if I have been used for all this time... Why couldn't he have said anything...? Just... Just _something... _I would have talked it out with him... I wouldn't have yelled at him, or hurt him... I just... I feel so..."

Nanao nodded in understanding. "I know. Shunsui isn't talking to him currently because of this. They couldn't exactly see eye-to-eye, and now Shunsui is drinking himself to death."

"I don't blame him..." Byakuya muttered. "...He's made up so many excuses and faked his illness to get out of seeing me... It's like he _doesn't _want to see me..."

"Then how about we show up to his house and visit him?" Nanao suggested. "We'll talk to him about it, okay? I'm sure he's just worried you'd react negatively."

Byakuya nodded. "Okay..."

As they stood up to leave, Shunsui came storming out of his room and threw his phone onto the couch near them. His face was red with frustration. "If you're going to see him, I'm coming, too."

Both Byakuya and Nanao were startled by the hatred and anger in the man's voice. "What happened?"

"Jūshirō." Shunsui spat the name as if it were poison on his tongue. "He called me. Crying. Says he did something stupid with that bastard."

Nanao didn't question further and instead lead her boyfriend out to the car. She hoped that Jūshirō was okay and Shunsui wouldn't be too hard on him; it wasn't Ukitake's fault he was going through such a hard time.

_**One hour earlier~~**_

Jūshirō cried out as he released all over his stomach, his nails digging into Starrk's back as his orgasm rocked him violently. He curled up, burying his face into Starrk's sweaty chest.

"Starrk..." Jūshirō moaned, panting. He felt the hot liquid running through his backside and he shivered, the feeling being so different from when he had been with Aizen. "...Starrk, I..."

Starrk pulled himself out of the younger man and lay down, holding him close. As usual, he didn't show much expression, making it hard for Jūshirō to gauge what he was thinking.

"Jūshirō, are you sure it's okay for us to keep doing this?" Starrk asked as he brushed wet hair out of Jūshirō's face. "You _have _a _boyfriend."_

Jūshirō nodded. "...I... I-I know... B-but I can't... I can't help myself... When I make love with Byakuya, I think of you... But when I make love with you, I think of Byakuya... I-I'm so... I'm so confused... Who do I love...?"

Starrk pulled the naked body closer to his own. "You're conflicted. I cannot continue this with you any longer until you sort out your feelings."

Jūshirō whimpered and pressed closer to the older male. He looked up with pleading eyes. "Please... D-don't leave me, Starrk... I-I love you..."

Starrk nodded. "And I'm sure that's what you tell your boyfriend, too."

"..." Jūshirō looked away and bit his lip. He knew Starrk was right, but... "...C-can't I... love you both...?"

Starrk sighed and reached out, turning Jūshirō's face to look at him. He stared into the green ones filled with pain. "If you truly loved your boyfriend, you wouldn't be here with me right now. _He's _the one you're supposed to love, and I've done nothing but hurt the both of you by allowing this to continue on for so long. I will still come over for lunch, but I want this to be the last time we have sex until you decide who you want in your life."

A single tear slid down Jūshirō's cheek. He buried his face in against the male's throat, trying not to cry. "I-I want you both! Please! I-I... Starrk... W-what they did to me... I-I think about it every day... But when I'm with you, I... I-it... It doesn't hurt... You make the pain go away, just like Byakuya does... You make me feel normal, like I'm not a whore..."

"Jūshirō." Starrk's voice was stern. "I know where you're coming from; I truly do. I want you in my life, sincerely. But I can't keep this up. I'm not cruel enough to hurt your boyfriend if he finds out. Please, Jūshirō. This has to stop."

Jūshirō sobbed. He knew that Starrk was right, but... He wanted – no, he _needed _the sex to keep himself sane. He clung to the brunet, knowing that he couldn't force Starrk to keep this up. He nodded.

"...I..." Jūshirō wiped at his eyes. "I'm sorry... Please, I-I... Don't leave me..."

"I won't. I'll still be here for you. I need to go. Call me when you desire my company again."

Jūshirō nodded. He held on for a few seconds more before he reluctantly let go. He watched as Starrk redressed before he escorted the other over to the door.

When he was alone, Ukitake broke down. He didn't know what he was doing anymore. He hated his life. He hated the pain. He hated feeling different and alone and always so _afraid. _

"...Shunsui..." Jūshirō sobbed. He collapsed onto the ground and crawled back into the living room. He grabbed his phone, dialling the one person in his life who he believed could help him – despite the reaction he had received the first time. He waited for the call to be answered for Shunsui to snap angrily at him before he spoke. "...Shunsui... I-I need help... I've done something stupid with Starrk..."


	10. Chapter 10

Jūshirō couldn't help but cry as he sat on the couch, being berated by Shunsui while Nanao and Byakuya stood and watched. He hated the harsh words his best friend was throwing at them, and though he knew he had been wrong to do what he had with Starrk, he couldn't understand why Shunsui was being so cruel to him.

"Maybe you should calm down, Shunsui," Nanao said, stepping in between her lover and her friend. She knew that he had said his piece and Jūshirō needed a calm talk; not yells and abuse. "Let Byakuya and I talk to him. Go get a drink and let us handle this."

Shunsui growled. "No. He's _my _best friend, so _I'll _handle this."

"You're not helping," Nanao said. "You're making things worse. He knows he did something wrong and this doesn't concern you; it's about Jūshirō and Byakuya. _They _are the ones who need to be talking."

Shunsui opened his mouth to disagree, but he soon found himself being pulled away in the kitchen by his girlfriend, leaving Byakuya and Jūshirō alone.

Jūshirō looked over at his boyfriend, noticing the sad expression on the younger's face. He hiccupped as he got to his feet, staggering over to the other male. He fell into the raven, burying his face in Byakuya's chest.

"...Please..." Jūshirō sobbed, wrapping his arms around his partner and holding on tight. "...Please... I-I'm sorry..."

Byakuya sighed but made no move to return the embrace. "Sorry doesn't work for things like this. ...You should have told me..."

"I'm sorry," Jūshirō repeated over and over like a mantra. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

"Jūshirō." Byakuya pushed the frail man away so that he could look into the other's eyes. "You really hurt me."

"I'm sorry..." Jūshirō cried harder.

"Stop saying sorry, Jūshirō." Byakuya's voice was cold, colder than it had been in a while. "Nothing you can do will fix what you've done. I'm glad you acknowledge you messed up, but you don't have to worry; Starrk can have you all to himself. I'm finished with you. I can't put my trust in you again."

Jūshirō dropped to his knees, falling silent. His eyes were wide but the tears kept coming. He didn't move when Byakuya walked into the kitchen towards the other two, almost as if he wasn't registering the world around him.

"I want to leave," Byakuya growled at Shunsui and Nanao. "Take me back to your home so I can get my car. I'm done here."

Nanao bit her lip as she looked between the three males. Shunsui was tense and angry, his grip on the glass cup he had in his hand threatening to break it. Byakuya showed no emotion, but she could tell from his harsh tone of voice that he was upset. And Jūshirō... was lying on the ground, unmoving.

"Shunsui, you take him back," Nanao instructed, placing a gentle hand on her partner's shoulder. "I'll stay here with Jūshirō-san."

Without a word, Shunsui stood up and moved towards the front door. He took one look at Jūshirō who was lying in front of him and then stepped over the smaller male, leaving the apartment in silence.

Byakuya followed and ignored his boyfriend completely. Nanao moved quietly to Jūshirō's side and placed her hand on his shoulder, looking down at his face. The male's eyes were scrunched shut, tears leaking past them as he sobbed.

"Jūshirō-san?" Nanao's voice was soft as she spoke, trying to bring comfort to the distressed man. She hooked an arm underneath his shoulder and lifted him to his feet, leading him towards the couch. She laid him down on the soft material and ran a hand through the white hair, not knowing how to help. "Jūshirō-san, you need to understand that they were in the right to act as they had; you've really hurt them both."

"I didn't mean to..." Jūshirō sobbed, not acknowledging the hand that was running gentle circles along his back. "...I... I was in so much pain... I wanted it to stop..."

"You should have spoken to Byakuya, Jūshirō-san... He would have understood; he wouldn't have hurt you. He'd have talked it out with you."

"No, he wouldn't..." Jūshirō whispered. "He'd have hated me... Like he does now..."

"He doesn't hate you," Nanao whispered back. "He's... upset. As anyone rightfully would be. ...He really loved you, Jūshirō-san."

"You spoke in past tense," Ukitake pointed out. "You admitted it yourself; he doesn't love me any longer."

"I don't think that's true."

"Please..." Jūshirō whimpered. "...Please, just leave me alone..."

"..." Nanao sighed before she stood up. "...I'll bring Tōshirō back to my apartment. I know you just want to be left alone."

Jūshirō didn't reply, nor did he react when Nanao hugged him goodbye. He just lay on the couch, crying.

Nanao didn't know what to think as she waited out the front for Tōshirō to come home. When he did, she quickly explained the circumstances and escorted him back to her home.

_**Back with Jushiro**___

Ukitake lay on the couch, wanting nothing more than to die. He didn't know what to do; he had just lost his most important people, Tōshirō would hate him when he found out about what he had done, and Starrk probably wouldn't accept him back into his life again like he had before.

Grabbing the phone from his pocket, he took his chances and dialled Starrk. He sobbed when the brunet answered the phone, begging for him to come over. He was just relieved to hear that Starrk was making his way over now.

_**At Shunsui's apartment~~**_

"I can't believe you _both!" _Nanao exclaimed, throwing the TV guide at Byakuya and Shunsui. "How can you both just cut him out of your lives like this?! Can't you see he's _suffering?!"_

"I don't want him in my life while he makes stupid decisions such as this." Shunsui shrugged, raising his sake bottle to his lips.

"I cannot trust him anymore..." Byakuya muttered. "How do I know he's not cheating on me again right now?"

Nanao sighed. "Listen to me. Byakuya, you of _all _people should understand what it's like to feel lost. He needs us to _support _him; not _judge _him."

"No." Both males said in unison.

Nanao sighed and threw her hands up in defeat. "Whatever. I'll be in the guest room with Tōshirō. Don't talk to me unless you've changed your minds."

Nanao left the two males and moved towards the hallway. She knocked on the bedroom door before she entered, closing it quietly behind her. She smiled at the boy lying on the bed, texting with the phone in his hands.

"Who are you talking to?" Nanao asked, sitting on the bed beside Tōshirō.

"Rangiku." Tōshirō offered a small smile back. "She said she can come and get me if I am too much trouble here with you."

"That's very kind of her, but you can make the decision," Nanao offered. "I'm just worried about you being back with your brother. He's very... unwell at the moment. You may have noticed."

Tōshirō's face fell. "...I know... He seems so happy when I come home from school, but... unless Byakuya-kun is over, he's always so sad the later it gets..."

"I know. That's the problem. He probably won't tell you this himself, but he's been cheating on Byakuya. The reason he's so happy? He's been making love with the person he's cheating with. He must think about what he's doing later in the day when everything's worn off."

"...Oh..." Tōshirō sighed. "...Juu-nii can't take care of himself..."

"He can't. I'm going back over there tonight after he has time to calm down. I think it will be best for you to stay with Rangiku for a few days, okay?"

Tōshirō nodded. "I will. Thank you for trying to help my brother. Shunsui doesn't seem too happy with him lately."

"Yeah..." Nanao shook her head. "...He's being stubborn."

The two talked for a few more minutes before Nanao left to go and make dinner. Tōshirō sat and thought about things for a while, but he just didn't know what to do; Jūshirō was becoming harder and harder to take care of, almost to the point where Tōshirō just couldn't bear to be around him.

The boy could only hope that Jūshirō would get better soon.


	11. Chapter 11

"I don't know what to do anymore..." Tōshirō whispered as he snuggled in closer to Rangiku's side. He rubbed at his eyes, not used to staying up late anymore.

Rangiku tightened her arms around her boyfriend. "I know. It's hard when someone you love is being so difficult."

"...Was I..." Tōshirō swallowed the lump in his throat before he continued on. "...Was I this bad...?"

Rangiku shook her head. "No. Not really. At first... It was hard for us to get near you... But once you got better, you were good."

"...This must be how my brother felt when it was _me,_" Tōshirō whispered. "...I know he took it hardest out of everyone..."

"He's your brother." Rangiku ran a hand through the white hair. "He loves you. Just like you love him."

"Yeah, but he didn't want to just walk away from me like I want to do to him." Tōshirō's voice was thick with hurt at these words. "I... I-I just... I can't be around him... I know he's trying to get better, but... It's too hard for me... I'm just not that type of person..."

"I know." Rangiku kissed the child's forehead in understanding. "Listen; you can live here with me, okay? I'll take care of you."

Tōshirō smiled weakly up at Rangiku and nodded. "I would love that, Rangiku. Thank you."

"Not a problem, sweetie. Let's get some sleep, okay?"

Tōshirō nodded. "Night, Rangiku."

"Goodnight."

Tōshirō snuggled in closer, pressing himself against the woman's large chest. He closed his eyes, lulled to sleep by Rangiku's rhythmic breathing.

_**At Jūshirō's apartment ~~**_

"Why don't we go back to my home, Jūshirō?" Starrk offered, shaking Ukitake gently in an effort to get his attention. "I'm sure you're sick of being here."

Jūshirō lifted his head from Starrk's lap and looked at the man with tired eyes. "R-really...? I've... never been to your home..."

Starrk nodded. "I know. I've never invited you over before. But I am now. Let's go."

Jūshirō nodded. He stood up on trembling legs and grabbed his shoes from beside the coffee table. He slipped them on and followed the brunet out of the apartment and down to the dusty Ute that was waiting for them.

When they arrived at the man's home twenty minutes later, Jūshirō wasn't surprised to find that the house seemed rather uncared for. The painting on the wood was peeling and frayed, the grass was long and dry, and the garden was dead.

"Why don't you look after the lawn?" Jūshirō questioned.

Starrk shrugged. "I'd rather spend my time sleeping then care for something like grass."

Jūshirō nodded, hugging himself slightly. It was very dark outside, almost two o'clock in the minute. He was surprised that the porch lights had been left on this late, but he then remembered that Starrk mentioned having a daughter from a previous relationship. She was probably up waiting for Starrk to come back.

When they stepped into the home, Jūshirō was rather uncomfortable when he saw just how neglected the house was. Like the outside, the walls were void of paint and several holes looked as if they had been punched into them. The floorboard beneath them was chipped and broken. A window on the side of the hallway was broken, letting cold air into the home.

The further into the house they got, the more Jūshirō got uncomfortable. The whole house was dusty and falling apart. There were water stains everywhere, food and other items scattered all over the floor.

"I'm sorry for the mess," Starrk apologised as he stepped over a large stain in the carpet of the living room. "I should have cleaned up."

"...It's..." Jūshirō was reluctant to sit down on the couch, expecting it to be filthy. It was actually a wonder Starrk always seemed to be immaculately clean and tidy despite what he lived in. "...It's okay..."

Starrk reached out and pulled Jūshirō onto his lap. Ukitake didn't resist and curled up against him. They were silent for a few minutes before Jūshirō spoke.

"Is Lilynette home?" the white-haired man whispered.

"She'll be fast asleep." Starrk's hand swept through the silky locks of hair. "Would you mind if I go to sleep myself?"

"No..." Jūshirō closed his eyes, prepared to follow his friend into oblivion. "Let's go to sleep..."

The two fell asleep peacefully together, Starrk's arms wrapped protectively around Jūshirō. Neither of them had any idea what the next day would bring.

_**The next day~~**_

Starrk didn't want to have to say goodbye to Jūshirō but, after having taken Lilynette to school, he knew Jūshirō needed to go back to his own apartment and think about what he was going to do now. He couldn't just spend all his time with Starrk and hope everything would be okay; he needed to take charge and sort out the mess he had started.

As expected, Jūshirō had been hesitant and didn't want to be alone, but he knew better than to argue with Starrk; despite the brunet's lazy disposition, he could still get angry when he wanted to.

So now, Jūshirō was standing in his apartment, crying as he held himself. He had never felt more lost than he did right now. He felt as if everything had been ruined, like nothing would ever get better. He just wanted to die. He didn't want to have to suffer anymore. He didn't know why everything always happened to him, why _he _had to be the one to suffer throughout his life. All he knew was that he wanted the pain to stop.

Jūshirō cried loudly as he wandered throughout his apartment, gathering what he knew he needed. He found some old rope sitting in a box underneath his bed and grabbed a kitchen chair as he made his way into the bathroom.

The white-haired male tied the rope around the railings of the shoulder as he stood on the chair, making sure the rope was slack enough to do as wanted. He then tied a noose in the rope and slipped it around his neck, tightening it enough to squeeze around his neck once he stepped off the chair.

Ukitake cried more once his preparations were completed. He prepared himself mentally for the task of stepping off the chair and, just as he lifted the first foot, the bathroom door opened and a flash of pink rushed towards him.

Jūshirō found himself being pulled from the chair and the rope ripped away from him before strong arms held him tightly, pressing his face into his rescuer's chest.

"You idiot..." Shunsui muttered as he cried into the white hair. Jūshirō wasn't sure if he were talking to himself or the younger male. "You _fucking idiot...!"_

Jūshirō stayed silent as he reached up and clutched at the pink kimono tightly.

"Do you have _any fucking idea _what we'd have done if you killed yourself...?" Shunsui sounded exhausted amidst his tears. "We fucking _love _you, Jūshirō... Don't you _ever _do this again..."

Jūshirō didn't reply; he could only cry. He didn't know what this meant for Shunsui and himself, but he could only hope it was the beginning of their relationship being repaired.

Shunsui couldn't believe he had been so stupid. How could he let this happen? How could he make Jūshirō feel so alone...? So lost...? So... _hated...? _He _loved _Jūshirō more than _anything _and he couldn't live with himself if Jūshirō killed himself. He should have been a better friend to Jūshirō, more understanding...

"_You fucking idiot..." _Shunsui muttered again. This time, Jūshirō knew he was talking to himself.


	12. Chapter 12

Though Toshiro had spent the last week with Rangiku, he knew it was time to go back and see his brother; he had a bad feeling that something was wrong with Jūshirō. Rangiku was kind enough to drive him back to his old apartment and, when they unlocked the door and stepped in, they were rather worried to find that the home was empty.

"Oh, what has he done now...?" Toshiro mumbled to himself as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialled his brother's number. He waited several seconds before the other end of the line answered, and he was confused to hear Nanao's voice.

"Toshiro-kun, you..." Nanao sounded sad as she continued speaking. "...You should come over as soon as you can..."

"Is my brother okay...?" Toshiro almost didn't want to hear the answer.

"...No. I don't want to talk about it over the phone, so it will be best for you to come here so we can explain things to you."

"I'll ask Rangiku to bring me over," Toshiro replied as he hung the phone up. He then turned to look at his girlfriend, not surprised by the look of concern on her face. "Ise-san wants for me to come over... I assume Jūshirō is there if she answered his phone..."

"Did she say what was wrong?" Rangiku asked as she shepherded the teen out of the apartment and closed the door behind them.

"No, but she sounded stressed. I'm worried, Ran..."

"Yeah, I bet you are. Come on; we'll head straight over."

Toshiro was silent for the rest of the trip, his thoughts on his brother. He knew that Jūshirō was very... _damaged, _to say the least in terms of emotions, so what had happened _this _time...?

_**At Shunsui's apartment~~**_

"There." Shunsui tried to smile at his best friend as he taped the bandages together, looking down at his work. He had been forced to wrap more bandages around scars that had been reopened, not wanting to stress Jūshirō further and take him to a hospital seeing as he could mend them here. "Please, don't take the bandages off, okay...?"

Jūshirō just looked at the older male with teary eyes. He couldn't answer that, not wanting to lie or give Shunsui false hope – they all knew that Jūshirō would cut himself again, no matter what was said or done.

"My boss gave me the day off, so I'll sit in here with you, okay?" Shunsui moved closer to the pale man on the bed, grabbing the TV remote from of the bedside table. "Let's watch some TV. It'll take your mind off things."

Jūshirō closed the gap between them and rested his head on Shunsui's shoulder. He let a few loose tears stream down his cheeks, but he didn't speak.

There was silence between them for a long time, broken only by the sounds of the TV. Shunsui was sure that Jūshirō was just about asleep when the bedroom door opened and Toshiro poked his head in.

"Is he awake...?" Hitsugaya whispered, his green eyes fixed on Shunsui.

Jūshirō moaned in response, opening his eyes slowly. He looked absolutely exhausted as he tried to move off the bed and head towards his brother, but Shunsui grabbed his shirt and pulled him back onto the bed.

"You're not going anywhere, Juu," Shunsui said in a soft tone. "You need your rest. He can come to you, I'm sure."

Toshiro understood what Shunsui meant and hurried towards his brother. He climbed onto the elder's lap and hugged him tight.

"...Is it true...?" Toshiro whispered as skinny arms embraced him in return. "...Did you really... try and hang yourself...?"

Tears slipped down Jūshirō's cheeks as he nodded. "...I-I'm sorry..."

Toshiro was no fool as he noticed the fresh bandages covering his brother's wrists. He sighed. "And... you're cutting again, now..."

Jūshirō cried at these words. He felt so weak and stupid for being unable to cope with the things that had been done to him; Toshiro had suffered more than he had, and _he _didn't do silly things to himself...

"Juu-nii..." Toshiro whispered before he sighed. "...Juu-nii, you're being stupid."

These words didn't do much at all to help Jūshirō, and he instead broke down into hysterics. He let go of his brother and moved back to Shunsui's side, climbing onto the brunet's lap and burying his face in the strong chest.

Shunsui sighed as he wrapped his arms around the younger. "Toshiro-kun, I believe it will be best if we refrain from saying such things to him..."

"Sorry..." Toshiro mumbled, feeling ashamed of himself.

"Do you want me to try and talk to Byakuya again?" Shunsui asked, squeezing the body in his arms.

Jūshirō nodded. It was clear that he was in more pain by losing Byakuya than any of his friends would ever understand.

Shunsui pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialled Byakuya's number. He allowed Jūshirō to climb onto his lap and wrapped his arm around the skinny waist, waiting for the call to be answered.

"Hello?" Byakuya's tired voice spoke over the phone.

"Byakuya, it's me," Shunsui started, hoping that Kuchiki would hear him out this time. "I_ need _to talk to you. It's urgent."

"If it's about _him, _forget it," Byakuya hissed. He was about to hit the end call button before Shunsui's desperate voice all but pleaded with him.

"Byakuya, he tried to _kill _himself!"

Byakuya bit his lip at these words, his chest tightening in worry. "...He did...?"

"He's here with me now, Byakuya. He's been here with me for over a week. You... You _have _to talk to him, Byakuya... I... He's cutting himself again..."

Byakuya was silent for a long time before he processed these words. He eventually nodded, more to himself than anything else, before he spoke again. "I'm on my way."

Shunsui thanked the younger male before he ended the call and kissed Jūshirō's cheek. "He's coming, Jū-chan."

Jūshirō couldn't help but twist in his best friend's arms so that he could bury his face in the older man's chest and cry.

Tōshirō sat by the side, rubbing his brother's back gently. He sighed, not knowing what to do. He went back out to the living room where Rangiku and Nanao were talking quietly and climbed up on the blonde woman's lap.

"Are you okay, Tōshirō?" Rangiku whispered as she kissed her young boyfriend gently.

"...I... I would like to leave..." Tōshirō knew he wasn't being supportive for Jūshirō, but he just didn't know what he was supposed to do. Why did he have to do this? He's been through _enough _in life; why can't he just be left alone to do the things that made him happy?

"Let's go see Ichigo and the others." Rangiku smiled as she hugged the boy tightly. She then turned to Nanao, a look of concern on her face. "You'll let us know if something else happens, right?"

"Of course." Nanao nodded. "We're both doing our best to look after him."

Rangiku picked Tōshirō up in her arms and carried him out of the apartment, a soft goodbye thrown over their shoulders as they left.

Once they were sitting in the car, Rangiku getting ready to leave the car park, Tōshirō started to cry. Rangiku turned the vehicle back off and reached over, hugging Hitsugaya tightly.

"What's wrong, honey?" Rangiku whispered as he rested her on the white hair.

"I'm such..." Tōshirō cried harder as he tried to speak. "...I'm such a bad brother...!"

"No, you're not," Rangiku soothed. "You just don't know what to do, and that's understandable. You shouldn't have to be dealing with this."

"I just want him to stop doing this to me..." Tōshirō wrapped his arms around himself, finally revealing his feelings towards his brother. "I hate him for making me wonder what he's going to do next...! I hate him for doing this to me...! I want him to _die, _Rangiku!"

Rangiku didn't reply to this, but she knew she shouldn't; Tōshirō must have been holding back feelings of resentment towards the things Jūshirō did to himself, and was now unable to stop seeing his own _brother _in that same light.

As Rangiku released the boy and started the car once again, she could only hope that things would work out sooner rather than later.


	13. Chapter 13

While Tōshirō and Rangiku sat upstairs in Ichigo's bedroom with Kurosaki and Rukia, they discussed what had happened back at Shunsui's apartment together, concern thick in the air.

"Maybe it's best Tōshirō stays away from him until Kyōraku-san sorts everything out," Ichigo suggested, not knowing what else could be done; he had never been in this situation before.

"Yeah, nii-sama is really upset," Rukia added on. "He's hardly come out of his room since... _that _happened."

"I just don't understand why Jūshirō would cheat on Byakuya..." Tōshirō mumbled. "I mean... I thought my brother _loved _him..."

There were murmurs of agreement around the room before Tōshirō clambered onto Rangiku's lap, curling up in her arms. He sighed, exhausted with this whole ordeal.

"I'm tired of this..." Hitsugaya mumbled as he wiped at his eyes. "Let's talk about something else."

Rukia smiled as she tried to change the subject into one she knew wouldn't upset her young friend further. "How are things with you and Rangiku-san?"

Tōshirō smiled as warm lips kissed his temple. "Yeah, they're good. We've started to have sex now."

Ichigo's face reddened as he looked away while Rukia's curiosity peaked. "Really? What does it feel like?"

Tōshirō huffed while Rangiku laughed. "Like I'm going to say!" the white-haired teenager snapped in embarrassment.

Rangiku carefully placed the young boy on the floor next to her as she stood up and stretched. "I'm gonna go grab some sake. I'll be back~"

Tōshirō waved goodbye to the blonde as he turned back to his friends. "Anyway, where's Renji and the others?"

Ichigo shrugged. "Don't know. I guess they're around."

The white haired child nodded. "Yeah."

The three teenagers talked happily for a while as they waited for Rangiku to come back. However, when Tōshirō's phone rang and the woman explained that she would be out longer than expected, the three wondered if something had happened; it wasn't every day Rangiku sounded like something was bothering her.

_**~~With Rangiku~~**_

Rangiku was worried when Nanao had rang her phone and asked for her to come back to the apartment. She had expected that the raven-haired woman would handle things when Byakuya got there, but the usually independent woman was asking for help, sounding stressed.

"What's happening, Nanao-san?" Rangiku asked as she turned the car around, heading back towards Nanao's home.

"Byakuya just won't listen and Shunsui is... more stressed than I have seen him in a while," Nanao explained in a weary voice. "I honestly... don't feel comfortable being here..."

Rangiku understood what the older woman meant. She explained that she would be there as fast as she could and that she had to hang up but would be on standby if something happened.

When Matsumoto arrived at the apartment fifteen minutes later, she hurried to Nanao's home and invited herself in, alarmed by all of the shouting she could hear down the hallway. She found Nanao sitting on the couch while Byakuya and Shunsui stood behind her, yelling at each other. Ise's face was in her hands, and her shoulders quivered in stress.

Rangiku immediately made her way over to her friend and held her close, understanding now why Nanao wanted her to come over. She was glad she had left Tōshirō behind, knowing that this would be stressful to the child.

"Nanao-san, I'm here," Rangiku said as she pulled the raven-haired woman into a hug. "It's okay."

"He fucking loves you!" Shunsui shouted angrily at Byakuya from behind the two women. "And all you've done is treat him like shit!"

"He is the one who cheated on _me!" _Byakuya shouted back. "I apologise for having _emotions! He _should be the one making apologies!"

"You don't get it!" Shunsui's arms were in the air as exasperation filled his voice. "You don't _fucking _get it! He _is _sorry for what he's done! Weren't you listening?! He tried to _kill himself _again! He knows what he did was wrong, and he _knows _he's hurt you!"

Byakuya was silent for a few seconds as his eyes slipped closed. "No, he doesn't. He doesn't understand just how much he's hurt me."

"Then _talk _to him about it!" Shunsui was close to hitting something. All he wanted was to make things better between his friends, but Byakuya was being as stubborn as ever. "He _wants _to talk to you about what happened, Byakuya... He... he just wants you back..."

"I do not want _him _back, though..." A single tear slipped down Byakuya's cheeks at these words. "What he did... How can I trust him to not do it again...?"

"You can't," Shunsui whispered. "I know... But you can at least make a compromise, Byakuya."

"They've been fighting like this for so long..." Nanao whispered to Rangiku, almost as if she was afraid of being caught in the middle. "They just... they can't agree..."

Rangiku held her friend tighter as she offered a comforting smile. "Well, it seems like they're agreeing now because Byakuya just nodded. He's going into Shunsui's room now."

Nanao lifted her head as she felt her boyfriend's presence by her side. Her eyes shone with slight fear – something that _never _happened to Ise. "...Y-yes...?"

Rangiku let go of her friend and moved back as the brunet instead took Nanao into his arms. Shunsui rested his stubbled chin on top of silky black hair, sighing softly as he squeezed the younger in reassurance.

"I'm so sorry for what happened, Nanao-chan." Shunsui's voice was soft, dripping with guilt. "I know it must have been hard for you to sit here and endure that, but... Juu-chan..."

Nanao shook her head as she returned the hug. "I understand, Shunsui. It's not your fault. You just want your friend to be okay."

Shunsui nodded. "Yes, but I shouldn't have made things get this bad. I love you, Nanao-chan."

"I love you, too," Nanao said softly. "You should go check on your friends. I'll be alright out here."

Shunsui nodded. "Alright."

Rangiku watched as Shunsui and Nanao shared a gentle kiss before the brunet left to join Byakuya in his bedroom. She smiled, knowing that the two were deeply in love.

Shunsui didn't know what to expect as he stepped into his bedroom. He glanced at the bed where Jūshirō had been when the brunet left to let Byakuya inside. Byakuya was sitting on the side of the mattress, his shoulders shaking in what Shunsui knew was stress, and he struggled to keep his voice calm as he spoke to the older male.

"You hurt me more than you realise," Byakuya said, his voice wavering.

Jūshirō had the blanket pulled up to his chin, his body shaking as tears slipped down his cheeks. His eyes stared at the wall opposite him, never venturing over to Kuchiki.

Byakuya sighed, knowing that he had resembled his friend all too often. It made his anger die down a little, remembering how he had made mistakes because of the pain he, too, had suffered through. He reached out, his heart breaking slightly as Jūshirō flinched away from the hand that was coming to rest on his head.

"You should have just told me..." Byakuya whispered as a single tear slipped down his cheek, splashing against Jūshirō's. "...I would have understood..."

Jūshirō choked on a sob. "I'm sorry...!"

Byakuya shook his head, sighing. He knew he shouldn't blame Jūshirō; this was the same man who had stayed with him for _years _and never once got angry with anything he did. "...What do you want to happen, Jūshirō...?"

Jūshirō's eyes widened in disbelief; what was Byakuya saying...? Was the younger male giving him a choice...? "...I... I-I want to be back with you..."

Byakuya opened his mouth to reply, but Jūshirō kept talking.

"...But... I-I also want to be with Starrk..." Jūshirō nibbled at his lip as he tried to think about what he wanted. "...I want... for us all to be together..."

Byakuya frowned. Did Jūshirō really expect him to engage in a three-way relationship...? With someone he had _never met...? _"Jūshirō, I..."

"Please...?" Jūshirō was broken, Byakuya could tell just by listening to the desperate pleading in Jūshirō's voice. "...Please...? It's... what I want... I-I don't know... what to do... so... if we're all... together, maybe I... will understand..."

Byakuya shook his head. Jūshirō was really expecting too much from him, but... at the same time, he was desperate to not lose Jūshirō... If this was what would help them both...

"Fine," Byakuya found himself whispering, his hand clenching by his side. "But I have to meet him and decide first. And if you _ever _lie to me like you were before to spend time with him and not tell me, I will _not _be happy, Jūshirō."

"...I..." Jūshirō ducked his head. He knew that this would have been brought up sooner or later. He truly did feel bad about what he had done, but he couldn't help himself. "...I will be truthful to you next time, Byakuya... I promise..."

Shunsui, who was standing by the door, smiled gently. He was just glad that things were being sorted out without as much problem as he had expected from someone as stubborn as Byakuya. He approached the two younger males and sat down on the bed beside Jūshirō.

"I believe Jūshirō has already organised to have lunch with Starrk at their favourite café, so why don't you join them, Byakuya?" the brunet offered.

A small smile slipped onto Jūshirō's face at these words. He nodded as his hand slipped out from under the covers and grabbed the smaller one, holding on tight. "Please, Byakuya?"

Byakuya sighed as he nodded. "Alright. But you have to clean up first. And you have to be honest to me about _everything _while we are there."

Jūshirō nodded. "I will. I promise."

Shunsui helped his younger friend out of the bed before he walked him over to the bathroom, helping him inside. Byakuya had accompanied them, his expression emotionless.

"I don't know if what I am doing is right or wrong..." Byakuya confessed to his friend once Jūshirō was safely locked inside the bathroom. "I don't want to share him, but I don't want to lose him. And I'm worried about him lying to me again."

"Byakuya, the way I'm seeing it is that he is worried himself about doing all those things, so in his own little way, he's trying to make sure you'll be okay with something he otherwise knows you won't like. Do you understand what I'm saying? He wants Starrk to join the relationship to avoid hurting you in case he messes up again."

"...How do you know that?"

"Believe me, Byakuya; I know how his mind works better than himself." Shunsui smiled. "While you're with him, can you make sure he eats something and looks after his bandages? He's been very neglectful of his body since the breakup."

Byakuya nodded. "I understand. I'll look after him." Kuchiki turned to leave, but Shunsui's voice stopped him.

"And Byakuya? Please, don't be too hard on him. He's trying to do what's right for everyone."

"...I understand."

With that said, Byakuya left the apartment. He walked down to his car and sat inside it, just thinking. How would things be between them? Would they ever be the same as they were before? He could only hope so.


	14. Chapter 14

**I'm thinking of this being the second last chapter and the next chapter the epilogue. I would appreciate your thoughts on this.**

Jūshirō sat in the passenger seat of Byakuya's car, staring out of the window while the younger male drove them to the café they were meeting Starrk at. The raven-haired man was quiet, thoughts reeling around his head as he tried to fathom what could possibly have lead his boyfriend to cheat on him.

"Why did you do it." Byakuya wasn't asking. His eyes stayed fixated on the road in front of them, but he was listening for the slightest hint of a lie in the older male's voice.

"...E-excuse me...?" Jūshirō blinked, not quite understanding what had been asked.

"Why did you cheat on me." Byakuya's knuckles paled as he tightened his grip on the wheel.

"Oh..." Jūshirō frowned as he looked down at his lap. His fingers twitched as he tried to hold back tears. "...I-I... I didn't mean to, but... S-starrk was with me when... when I... had another breakdown... H-he... didn't... It wasn't his fault... I-I asked for it... I needed to _forget...! _He didn't want to... I swear... But I was desperate... I was desperate, and he gave it to me... And I kept asking for it every time... I-I swear he wasn't at fault; he just wanted to help me... Please... don't be mad at him..."

"..." Byakuya understood. He couldn't say he wasn't angry at either males, but he knew that Jūshirō just wasn't in his right mind when he had done those things. "...Alright."

The two were quiet once again, Jūshirō the only one making small talk, until they arrived at the café. Jūshirō bit his lip, not moving from the seat, staring down at his bandaged wrists.

Byakuya had gotten out of the car and moved to Jūshirō's side. He opened the door and leant down, talking softly to the taller male. "What's wrong?"

"...I..." Jūshirō licked his lips as he tried to explain his problems to Byakuya. "...I-I'm afraid..."

"Why?"

"...My wrists..."

Byakuya sighed. He reached out and took the frail wrists into his hands, offering a small smile. "Who cares what others think? You are still here, Jūshirō, and that makes you strong."

Jūshirō frowned for a few seconds longer before he smiled back and nodded. "...Yeah..."

Byakuya helped his boyfriend out of the car carefully, knowing that the man's injuries were still tender. He tolerated the hand that held the back of his jacket in a timid manner, but he couldn't help but shake off the sickly male's hand when it tried to hold his; he had never been one of public displays of intimacy, them making him uncomfortable.

"Not now," Byakuya whispered, pulling his hand back to his person. He ignored the look of sadness Jūshirō gave him and instead straightened his clothing, clearing his throat in uneasiness.

Jūshirō didn't say anything and instead followed Byakuya into the middle of the café. He pointed out the table that Starrk was sitting at, sticking close to his boyfriend's side as they approached the brunet.

"Is this Byakuya?" The man Byakuya knew was Starrk asked. Kuchiki nodded, answering the other's question silently. "You must have worked things out, then."

Jūshirō smiled at Starrk and nodded. "...We... we had a talk..."

"Did you come to a conclusion?" Starrk sounded as if he were bored, making Byakuya wonder whether or not the brunet even cared a bit about Jūshirō and his problems.

"He wants a three-way relationship," Byakuya explained, his voice cold.

"I see." Starrk leant back in his chair and looked up at the roof for a few seconds. He then turned back to the raven, a serious expression on his face. "And how do you feel about that?"

"Honestly, I would rather not share him." Byakuya met the brunet's gaze, hoping that the man got his hint; leave Jūshirō alone or console him after yet another breakup.

Starrk looked at Jūshirō, his voice softening as he spoke. "Then we will not have a three-way relationship, Jūshirō."

Jūshirō whimpered and opened his mouth to object, tears welling up in his green orbs, but he was silenced by Starrk reaching out and grabbing his hand.

"A relationship requires love and trust," Starrk explained, "and Byakuya and I have neither of those things between us. We will not learn those because of what happened between _us_, Jūshirō. It's best to stay with your boyfriend. Byakuya, I am truly sorry for the hurt I put you through. I should not have done it in the first place, and I'll be sure it won't happen again."

Byakuya nodded, just relieved to know that things had finally been resolved. "Thank you for your understanding, Starrk."

Starrk nodded at the raven before he turned his attention back to the now-sobbing Jūshirō. "You'll be happy with Byakuya. I will always be your friend, Jūshirō. I'm here for you, but we can't do what we were again. You have been forgiven this time, and not many people forgive their partners for cheating on them."

Jūshirō rubbed at his eyes, nodding. He moved closer to Byakuya and rested his face against the younger's shoulder.

Byakuya ran an absentminded hand through the white locks before he glanced at the waitress who had come to take their orders. He asked for two salad wraps, one for him and one for Jūshirō, and once Starrk had placed his own order, their attention turned back to each other.

"Thank you for having taken care of him..." Byakuya mumbled, knowing that was a fact he could not ignore.

Starrk waved a dismissive hand. "He deserves love."

Kuchiki nodded in agreement, turning to face the man who was still using him as a pillow. He sighed softly, leaning down to place a quick kiss on top of the taller male's head.

The rest of the day passed by quickly, Byakuya and Starrk having spoken about everything that had happened during the cheating period, before the youngest male decided he needed to take Jūshirō back home for some rest; the frail man was half-asleep, slumped against the table as he struggled to keep his eyes open.

Starrk understood, saying his goodbyes to the other two and promising that he would have lunch with Jūshirō again soon.

_**~~At Rangiku's home~~**_

Rangiku honestly wasn't surprised when Tōshirō asked if he could live with her. She had expected this, knowing that living with Jūshirō was stressful at the best of times.

Matsumoto leant down, pulling Tōshirō into her arms. She kissed his forehead before she spoke again. "This is something we have to ask your brother."

Tōshirō understood. He moved closer to his girlfriend, sighing softly. "Okay... Should I ring him and ask?"

"If you want to, but he may still be upset over what happened earlier." Rangiku lifted the tiny teenager into her arms and carried him into the bedroom. "From what I understand, Byakuya is giving him another chance, but... they were going to meet the guy Jūshirō had cheated on him with, so..."

"Yeah..." Tōshirō sighed as he fingered the phone in his pocket. He pulled it out after some consideration, speed dialling his brother's number. "...I'll call him and ask how that went, and if it's okay, then I'll ask him."

Rangiku stayed quiet as she waited for Tōshirō to begin talking into the phone. When at last the younger did, she paid close attention to what he was saying, her nosy side coming into play.

"Hey, Jūshirō..." Tōshirō sounded wary as he spoke, something that upset Rangiku. "...Yeah... I-I'm good... How about you...?"

Jūshirō spoke on the other end of the line, his voice breathy. It worried Tōshirō that he was having an attack but, at the same time, it didn't sound the way it usually did when Ukitake was ill. "I'm good... T-this isn't... a good time..."

"Are you sick?" Tōshirō asked, not willing to let go of his brother so soon. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"N-no, I... I-I need... A-ahh...!" When Jūshirō moaned loudly into the speaker, Tōshirō understood what was going on. His brother was, uh... busy...

Tōshirō's eyes widened as he shifted uncomfortably, not sure what to say. "...I'll call you back soon..."

Rangiku gave the younger a questioning look as Tōshirō literally threw the phone away from him as if it were going to attack him. "What happened?"

"...Jushiro was..." Tōshirō blushed scarlet, not knowing how to continue his sentence, "...with, uh, Kuchiki-sama, I presume..."

Rangiku laughed as she understood what her boyfriend was trying to convey. She pulled Tōshirō into a hug and smiled. "I take that as great news. They must be back together."

"...Yeah..." Tōshirō was more concerned about the uncomfortable dreams he would probably have tonight after hearing his brother in the throes of passion.

_**~~Shunsui's home~~**_

"Who was that?" Byakuya asked, stilling his movements for a few seconds so that he could talk.

"T-toshirou..." Jūshirō said, whimpering at the loss of movement. He pressed his hips backwards, trying to get more of the friction he had been given before his phone rang. "Please, Byakuya...!"

A small smile slipped onto Byakuya's face at the older man's pleas; it aroused him to no end to know that he had so much control over Jūshirō in circumstances like this. "Say it, first."

"Ah, Byakuya, I...!" Jūshirō moaned as his hand travelled to his groin, _needing _the stimulation; he was _so close...!_

Byakuya smacked Jūshirō's hand away. "Not until you say it."

"...Byakuya, I...! I need you...!" Jūshirō panted heavily, throwing his head side-to-side. "...I need only you...! No one else...!"

Byakuya's smile widened as he started to move once again. He reached down, taking the aching member into his hands, giving Jūshirō the pleasure he needed.

They were so focused on what they were doing together that neither of them heard the front door to Shunsui's apartment unlocking and two pairs of footsteps walking towards the bedroom. They only stopped when the bedroom door was opened and a confused Shunsui and aroused Nanao stood in the doorway, watching them.

Shunsui soon understood the situation, and he couldn't help but be annoyed that his sleeping quarters were being used for activities _without _his involvement. "Hey! That's _my _bed! If I'm not allowed to join, go do it elsewhere!"

Byakuya rolled off of Jūshirō and pulled the covers over the frail body, hiding him from view. He wrapped an arm around the man who was now curled around him in an attempt to hide himself from the two intruders in a shy manner.

Nanao was the first to speak, her enjoyment of such situations shining through in her words. "Oh, come on, Shun! Let them finish! We can use the couch in the meantime."

Shunsui's unreadable expression soon turned into one of excitement at the mention of his _own _'activities' and left the other two males alone.

Byakuya turned back to his partner once Nanao had closed the door. "Do you want to finish?"

Jūshirō shook his head, his face scarlet from embarrassment. "N-not now... that they're home..."

Byakuya couldn't help but chuckle at the older male's shyness.


	15. Chapter 15

Three years had passed by and Tōshirō's eighteenth birthday had come around. He had moved in with Rangiku back when he had first asked the woman, his brother having said that it was fine. They were celebrating in the backyard of Matsumoto's home with the boy's friends and family. It wasn't a large party; Tōshirō didn't care much for large gatherings and only wanted to be with his most important people.

Tōshirō and Rangiku were sitting at the table underneath the shelter at the back of the house, eating their lunch happily as they conversed, looking around at the people who had arrived. Ichigo, Renji, and the rest of their school group had shown up and were sitting in their own corner, seemingly talking about the present they had bought for Tōshirō.

Lisa, Tōshirō's therapist, had come, showing not only her support for the boy, but also how proud she was of how far he had come from the scared little child she used to know. She was standing by one of the other tables, talking to Shunsui and Nanao, holding the child the two of them had had together. Starrk stood a little further away, talking to Lisa's blond partner, Rose. The brunet was waiting for Jūshirō to arrive, having been invited personally by the white-haired man.

"She's very pretty," Lisa said softly as she admired Shunsui and Nanao's two-year old daughter.

Shunsui smiled brightly, his child being the centre of his world. "Her name is Ururu**(1)**." The brunet's hand travelled down to his fiancée's stomach, rubbing gently. "We have another one on the way."

"Congratulations." Lisa smile back. "You both must be very proud."

"We are." Nanao rested her head on Shunsui's shoulder, sighing happily. "We've been trying for years."

Lisa looked back down at the sleeping girl in her arms. She saw that the child had black hair and, unlike her father, it was straight and short, reaching only to the small of her back. Her face was round like her mother's, and Yadomaru had a feeling she would grow up to resemble her mother the most.

"Why isn't Ukitake-san here?" Lisa asked, pulling a plastic chair out from under the table and sitting by Shunsui's side. "I thought for sure he wouldn't miss this. Is he ill again?"

Shunsui shook his head, his eyes glinting with such happiness, it was uncommon even for the brunet. "He'll be here soon with Byakuya; they have to... pick something up."

Nanao smile softly at these words, nodding. "Yes."

Lisa nodded, wondering what the two males could have needed. She didn't question it and instead continued talking with her friends.

Back with Tōshirō and Rangiku, the two smiled as they overheard snippets of the other adults' conversation. They were excited about what Jūshirō and Byakuya would be bringing here and they almost couldn't wait.

Tōshirō stood up to stretch, smiling softly at Rangiku. He still had not grown very much at all within the past couple of years, his full height reaching only up to the beginning of his brother's chest, and Jūshirō was a bit over six foot.

"I'm going to see Ichigo and the others, okay?" Tōshirō called over his shoulder to Rangiku as he started to walk. "Are you coming?"

Rangiku grinned and followed her boyfriend, always eager for socialising. The two made themselves comfortable within the circle the others had made, not knowing what they were talking about, but joining in anyway.

"I've seen that movie," Tōshirō said softly, overhearing the title of a newly released movie. He smiled softly when attention turned to him.

"Really?" Orihime smiled, scooting closer to her friend. "What was it like?"

Tōshirō shrugged. "I saw it with Jūshirō last week. I didn't really like it, but he did. I found it to be rather boring."

Rukia laughed. "That's what nii-sama said. He didn't like it either."

Rangiku smiled. "Then I guess I know not to go and see it myself."

Ichigo and Renji nodded before they argued over who got the last sausage roll, neither of them willing to give it up.

"I had it first, Ichigo!" Renji snapped, tugging at the food that was trapped in both of their hands. "Give it back!"

"No!" Ichigo growled. "_I _had it first! It's mine!"

"There's more inside..." Tōshirō said softly, a hint of disapproval in his voice. "Don't fight over everything."

As if ignoring the last part of Tōshirō's sentence, the two older boys raced inside, their competitive streak taking over.

"Idiots..." Tōshirō mumbled to himself as he shook his head. He froze when a familiar voice spoke from behind him before a huge grin crossed his face.

"Surely you can't be talking about me, can you?" Jūshirō said from behind his brother.

Tōshirō spun around with an excited look on his face. He grinned when he found his brother and Byakuya standing behind them, their arms full and tired, yet happy, expressions on their faces. "You have them?!"

Jūshirō smiled and nodded, kneeling down so that his brother could see the child he had in his arms. It had silver hair tied back in a ponytail and wore a baggy blue sweater, a peaceful expression on its sleeping face. One that looked exactly like it was in Byakuya's arms as a small boy with chin length raven hair stood beside him, looking a bit anxious but nonetheless happy.

"What are their names?" Tōshirō whispered, not wanting to wake his brother's newly adopted child.

"This is Sogyo," Jūshirō nodded to the kid in his arms before he tilted his head in Byakuya's direction, "and that is Koto. They're twin boys, and they are seven."

"They're so cute." Tōshirō smiled at his brother, knowing that having that child in his arms would mean the world to Jūshirō.

Jūshirō flinched instinctively as strong arms wrapped around him from behind, but he relaxed almost instantly when he heard his best friend's soothing voice.

"So these are the children you wanted?" Shunsui asked, resting his chin on Jūshirō's shoulder in a lazy manner. He smiled down at the two boys being held before his gaze moved to the raven-haired boy by Byakuya's side. "Hello, Hanatarō-kun. How are you today?"

The boy named Hanatarō smiled shyly up at the brunet before he replied. "I-I'm good, thank you, Kyōraku-san. Byakuya and Jūshirō take good care of me."

Rangiku squealed excitedly as she looked at the twins. She reached out to take the one Jūshirō was holding, and she couldn't have been any more joyful than when Ukitake handed Sogyo over without hesitation.

"They're so cute!" Rangiku squealed again, hugging the twin tightly against her.

"The man who helped us with the adoption said that they are a handful." Jūshirō smiled as he moved to lean against Byakuya. "Byakuya and I had agreed to adopt one child first and see how we handled it before we adopted anymore. I had wanted the twins since I first saw them last year, but Byakuya said we may not be ready for twins just yet and, if we ever were, we would come back if they were still looking for new parents. Byakuya chose Hanatarō-kun almost immediately, and I have to admit that I wanted him, too."

"Hanatarō-kun is lovely, Juu," Shunsui said as he moved away from his friend and instead came to the boy's side, hugging Hanatarō in a friendly manner. "You have done a very good job on raising him, and I'm sure the twins will love you both."

"Thank you," Byakuya said quietly, reaching out to take his partner's hand. He looked at the two black-haired women who had arrived by their side, Ururu now back in her mother's arms, and Rose and Starrk were just behind them, talking about their interests.

Jūshirō quickly got to his feet and hugged Starrk tightly, thanking him for coming to his brother's birthday. He kissed the brunet's cheek before he pulled away, talking happily about the boys he had just adopted.

Starrk listened patiently, asking a few questions here and there. He nodded politely at Byakuya when Kuchiki came to Jūshirō's side, receiving the same acknowledgement from the younger man. He was just happy that Jūshirō was much better, the scars from his trauma still apparent, but much less severe than they had been.

Ukitake was still afraid of being alone, which was one of the reasons that had led to him and Byakuya adopting, and he still suffered Depression, but he hadn't cut himself or made any attempts on his life for quite a while now.

"Tōshirō is doing the cake now," Byakuya said softly, running his thumb across Jūshirō's pale cheek in affection. He reached down and took the frail hand in his, sending a soft smile Starrk's way as he lead the white-haired man away.

The twins the two had adopted were with Hanatarō, seemingly still uncertain about being around so many new people, but it didn't take them long to accept the others. They were running around, playing tag with Hanatarō, terrorising the cat Rangiku owned as they chased it around the backyard.

Jūshirō was the last to get a piece of cake, having hung back so that he could talk to Tōshirō. However, once they were alone, Hitsugaya was the first to speak between them.

"I'm glad you're still here, Jūshirō..." Tōshirō whispered, his eyes shining with pain as he smiled sadly. "I'm sorry if I was a bad brother when you needed someone to support you; I just didn't know what to do and it... _hurt..."_

Jūshirō carefully placed his plate down on the table and hugged his brother. He kissed the younger's cheek before he looked into the green orbs. "Shiro-chan... You're my brother, and I _love _you. I understand; I really do. Not everyone is cut out for caring for depressed people. And honestly; I, too, am glad that I am still here. I would have missed out on all of this if I wasn't."

Tōshirō buried his face into his brother's chest, returning the embrace. "No matter what... never leave me...?"

"I promise, Shiro-chan." Jūshirō whispered, intending on keeping that promise. "...I promise you, no matter what..."

**1 – I don't really like putting OC's in if I can help it, so I've just added in Ururu to avoid that.**


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